


Careful What you Wish For

by Starstruck_Syndrome



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: 707 has a car that meows, Additional tags added as we go, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But Also Terrifying, Canon Compliant, Crushes, Drama, Eventual Romance, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Jumin is a jerk, M/M, Mystic Messenger AU, No I have no idea where this fic is going, Slow Burn, Yoosung and Zen are best friends, Yoosung is adorable, You have been warned!, Zen is a bartender in addition to actor, Zen works at a club, a little bit of zensung feels, cursing, no beta we die like writers, possible sex scene later, so just a heads up to everyone, we say fuck in this!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:27:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23135392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starstruck_Syndrome/pseuds/Starstruck_Syndrome
Summary: Zen works hard to make his dream come true. One day he won't be working part time as a bartender at a club. One day he could focus solely on his musical career. But until that day comes, he focuses on what he can do and what he has now.Unfortunately, it seems his life is about to take a dramatic turn as he meets a very particular guy who is about to wreck his existence.It's a good thing he has Yoosung and Seven to rely on in times of confusion and distress, right? ....right?
Relationships: 707 | Choi Luciel/Kim Yoosung, Jumin Han/Zen | Hyun Ryu, Zen | Hyun Ryu & Yoosung Kim
Comments: 25
Kudos: 61





	1. Unfortunately, Still Single

“…and Zeeeeeeeen! I don’t know what to do! Help me!” Yoosung cried over his cup of coffee, forgetting about its existence as he was currently going through an existential crisis about a dance his university was having in a few weeks and how he didn’t know any girls so asking someone he did not know to come with him as his date would be weird but he didn’t want to go alone but he wanted to go in general.

Zen sipped at his Frappuccino and watched Yoosung dramatically wave his hands around and his hair bounce in all of his current distress. It was really cute how Yoosung’s voluminous hair bounced whenever his head moved. 

“Are you even listening to meeee?” Yoosung complained, pouting at the other.

Zen blinked, then flashed one of his movie perfect smiles, “Of course, but seriously Yoosung, how could you not know ANY girls? Don’t you speak to your classmates? Or have clubs?”

“Wha-Well yeah but…” he dropped his head in defeat, “I don’t really talk to them…” he said in a really small voice.

Zen let out a defeated sigh, “Dude. Seriously?”

“I can’t just go up to a girl and be like ‘Hey hot stuff, wanna talk about LOLOL’!” Yoosung emphasized.

Zen almost spit out his coffee laughing.

“ZEEEEEN! It’s not funny! I am being serious!” Yoosung whined, looking thoroughly annoyed that the actor wasn’t understanding his desperation and situation right now.

“I-I’m sorry, no, *ahem* you’re right, you’re right. But…how about you say something more like ‘Hi, I’m Yoosung! It’s nice to meet you’ instead?” he tried to help.

“….I…but…I can’t get to know a girl that fast!” Yoosung looked horrified, “and don’t you normally go calling girls things like ‘Honey’ or ‘Babe’?”

“Um, yeah. But I’m a rising star and I only call the girls I am acquainted with to some degree like that. You can’t just go to a random girl and start with ‘Hey baby, I like your hair!’ or whatever. It’s kinda creepy at that point”

Yoosung groaned and dropped his head onto the table with a dull thunk, “…I wouldn’t have the courage to say that even if I knew a girl….”

Zen shrugged, “Look, Yoosung. You’re cute, funny and really nice. But I think you are trying too hard. That might be the problem”

Yoosung groaned louder, then looked up at Zen, “I-If I can’t get a girl to come to the dance with me…um….m-maybe….” He stuttered, face reddening bright as a tomato, then he dropped his face into the table once more, mumbling something that Zen couldn’t make out.

Zen’s snickered, “Maybe girls aren’t your thing. Try asking a dude” he suggested.

Yoosung’s whole form tensed up and then his head shot up yet again, his eyes wide and terrified, “I c-can’t do that! I’m into GIRLS! Zeeeen! Stop teasing me!!!” he cried.

Zen let out a long sigh, “I’m just trying to help. I figured if girls were not an option then you should take a chance with a guy. You could just go as friends or something. And I KNOW you actually talk to guys at your school”

“But that’s so lame!” Yoosung complained, blushing and pouting, “if I do that then EVERYONE will know how big of a failure I am! I-I can’t do that!”

“Well then your last resort is to ask Seven. If he almost fooled me into thinking he was a chick that one time then I am sure he won’t have an issue fooling your school. It’s a bonus because he doesn’t attend so no one will know “she” is a “he” either way” Zen concluded, shuddering at the memory of the situation. Seven had gotten him good that day. 

Yoosung slapped his hands over his scarlet face and Zen swore he heard sobbing for a second there. Oh shit, yup. Definitely sobbing. Yoosung removed his hands and was rubbing away some tears. 

Zen plucked a napkin from the holder and held it out to his friend, who glared at it before accepting the offer and drying his eyes, “…I….I guess I have no choice then” he accepted his defeat, “I me-mean…it’s not like I can ever get a girlfriend…but if I ask Seven then he is NEVER going to let me hear the end of it! He always does something to make my life miserable!”

“Like the chocolate milk incident?” Zen offered helpfully.

“AGH! Yes! Will you stop bringing that up! Please!?” Yoosung cried out in desperation as Zen laughed. Yoosung quickly crossed his arms and turned away from him. 

“I’m sorry! Ok, ok, I promise to drop it. Just remember that Seven is there for you when it counts, regardless of the teasing” He tried to comfort the other.

“….I just….I don’t want to go alone. But I also want to go” Yoosung lowered his head, blonde hair bouncing in reaction.

A heavy silence settled over the two.

“Yeah…I can understand that” Zen agreed in a soft, quiet tone. 

He looked down into his frappe, knowing very clearly how Yoosung felt. It was, sadly, something the two of them bonded over when they had began talking for the first time. They boosted each other’s morale’s and cried over the fact that they were still single more often than not. 

It just…never worked out for either of them. 

Yoosung had problems even talking to girls…while Zen had problems being swarmed by them. But where no girl seemed to even spare Yoosung a second glance, Zen was only seen for his looks and popularity. It was one of those “two sides of the same coin” deals. 

“I’m sure we will find the right person at some point…” Zen looked up, smiling at Yoosung, “until then, you want me to help you pick out an outfit for the dance? Because believe me when I say you could use my expertise in the matter” he teased, leaning forward on his forearm.

Yoosung turned back around, then huffed as he pouted at him, “you’re so mean!” he paused, then gave a small laugh, “ugh, okay, you can help BUT I get the final say! And I need you to help me think of some way to ask Seven without it sounding so lame”

“Deal. I’ll meet you at your dorm tomorrow” Zen chuckled, watching Yoosung finally remember his coffee and chug it.

### 

The music blared clear and strong from the high-end speakers surrounding the venue. The lights, flares and laser beams were enough to give someone a seizure, flickering and moving along with the rattling beat of the DJ’s mix. The club was full of excited, sweaty and possibly drunk ravers and party people. Masses of bodies moved against one another on the lit-up dance floor, their forms flashing in and out of existence as the lights worked their magic in capturing everyone in a stop-motion animation.

This was the night scene that the part-time bartender and full-time actor known as Zen came to know.

His sleeves were rolled up and his head was bobbing along with the track as he wiped down the counter, collecting discarded trash and glasses as he went.

He remembered a time when he literally could not find a job that would hire him and wondered how he managed to be here now. Yeah, it was a lot of work, but he found people who were willing to take a chance on him and now he had a growing career and was making enough to live a decent life.

He didn’t need to rely on gang life anymore, although he technically never really left it. You can’t just “leave” a gang. But he didn’t regret his choices. He did what he had to do in order to survive and he gained many life skills through it...along with some very bad habits but he was trying to straighten things out. He was smoking less, for example.

Obnoxious laughter and uncensored voices alerted him of another group of girls making their way over to the bar. He got quite the excessive number of them. They all pretty much did the same thing too. They would notice him, approach the bar counter, lean over it and fluttering their false eyelashes at him. Then when he approached with his movie perfect smile, they would try to flirt their way into a free drink or Zen’s pants. This group was following the script to a tee.

Zen flashed them his most charming smile and leaned on his arm against the counter to meet their challenge in a flirtatious banter over drinks or reasons why he can’t take them up on their other offers. Of course, he couldn’t give free drinks to every girl that came up and flirted with him. Boy would he be fired if that were the case.

Luckily the girls that were here now were already tipsy and had completely forgotten about their mission for free drinks when their focus switched to flirting with the sexy, young bartender.

“Dude, what the hell? You literally hog all the girls! Save some for us too” one of Zen’s co-workers chided, hand on his hip as he watched Zen get the drinks.

Zen snickered, “What can I say? My beauty is beyond mortal comprehension~ not to mention I am absolutely irresistible” he placed a hand on his cheek and sighed wistfully, being the drama queen that he was.

His co-worker smacked him on the shoulder with the fresh towel he had just grabbed, laughing before he walked off to wipe the tables on the other side of the counter.

Zen laughed and served the drinks with a few select compliments for the ladies.

It was interesting though. Girls always went head over heels for him, but he had never felt any serious attraction to any of them. Most guys were quick to be caught by a girl’s appearance, but that wasn’t very true for Zen. Looks only went so far. His main focus had always been on a person’s personality.

It probably had a lot to do with his own personal experience in the looks department. Everyone judged him on how he looked and never took time to get to know him.

He hated it.

He truly did love his own appearance. How could he not? He was fucking gorgeous! Unfortunately, that’s also the first (and often only) thing that people saw.

He could get along with anyone and everyone. He could literally ask anyone out and they were almost guaranteed to say yes. But his relationships with people never felt…close. At least not with most people. He had two special friends he held dear and would do anything for. Yoosung and Seven had both made him feel accepted beyond what everyone else had.

So…if he could find two people who he could consider close friends, who actually loved him for who he was and never showed any intention of wanting to use him for their own benefits, then it shouldn’t be impossible for him to find a girlfriend, right?

He was a romantic at heart. He couldn’t help it! He always wanted to fall in love, go out on dates, do all that mushy cute stuff like cuddle and kiss and surprise his beloved with chocolates and roses! And he imagined that she would blush and laugh in the sweetest voice.

He always pictured she would be shorter than him. He was considered tall by average standards, so it was very likely she would be shorter than himself. Her appearance would always shift a little in his mind. Usually his dream girl would have either short, fluffy blonde hair or long, dark and flowing hair. She was usually wearing a loose, comfy sweater and tights. Her face was always a blur. He could never make out her features. He figured it was because his focus wasn’t so much on her appearance as her personality. But the most important part would be that she took her time to try and understand and support him.

It was such a pleasant dream.

He leaned back against the metal sink and watched the dancers move, his fingers tapping against the rim of the metallic edge.

Why was it so damn difficult for him to find her?

And not just him, for Yoosung too. The other had expressed his own fantasies of how he would find his perfect girlfriend and he was just as sappy with his image of her as Zen was.

He supposed he shouldn’t rush it. He was still building up his career so having a relationship might make things a bit harder in regards to dealing with his fans and the media. But even so, it sounded so nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, wow!  
> This started as me writing to escape reality and turned into something I really like and wanna share. No, I have no idea where it's going. I'm kinda just writing as I go so bare with me!  
> So far my favorite moments are with Zen and Yoosung's interactions. I love these boys, omg~


	2. An Unfortunate Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Act two! Enter: Jumin Han!
> 
> But first, Yoosung needs to plan an outfit for the dance.

The next day, Zen came by Yoosung’s dorm to figure out an outfit and come up with a strategy. 

The outfit was honestly the easier part. 

Yoosung didn’t have many options, but him and Zen managed to get something nice together. He had a very nice blue, button down shirt and Yoosung argued for wearing a bow instead of a tie. They then picked out some tan pants and Yoosung had a thing for wanting to try the suspenders with them after Zen suggested it but wasn’t sure about the look. Of course, this meant that Yoosung needed to try it on. Meanwhile, the actor stepped out into the hall to play with his camera and reply to some comments on Photagram. 

Yoosung opened the door and let him back in when he was dressed. Zen laughed happily when he got the full vision, teasing about how well the look fit Yoosung and how cute he looked. This caused Yoosung to grow embarrassed and smack Zen with a pillow for teasing him until Zen admitted it did actually look really good. To commemorate the occasion, he snapped a few selfies, promising not to post them till after the dance. They didn’t need Seven knowing how far in advance they had planned everything. 

Speaking of which, next was the issue of figuring out how to deal with Seven. 

Zen actually came up with a very believable idea.

Yoosung was going to pretend he lost a bet with Zen and was being forced to uphold his end of the deal. That way, Seven’s teasing would be far less deadly than if Yoosung had asked him out of pure desperation. 

Zen went a few steps farther to include that the bet was over Yoosung’s grades. If he did good, Yoosung would have won the bet. If he failed, which he obviously did since his last test was…not good, then Zen won and Yoosung had to uphold the terms of the bet. And if Seven questioned why Yoosung would take the bet, the answer was simple; because Zen teased him into accepting it.

Yoosung thought it would be great if the other side of the bet was that, if Yoosung had won, then Zen would need to cut his hair! 

Zen had freaked out at the mere concept of losing his precious hair and once Yoosung had grabbed his scissors and began to snip them in front of Zen’s face, the conversation was over and Zen had run awaybefore Yoosung could do any actual damage.

Not that Yoosung really would, but Zen was taking NO chances when it came to his hair!

He walked down the darkened street alone, making his way back home from Yoosung’s dormitory so that he could change and head to the club for work. His hair rested safely over his shoulder and he chuckled to himself at the day’s events. There really was never a dull moment with Yoosung. He really thought of the other as his best friend. He was pretty sure Yoosung considered him with the same standard.

### 

There was a private event being hosted at the club tonight. 

Everything had been decorated in the logo and name of the RFA (Rika’s Fundraising Association). They were holding a charity event to raise funds for struggling families in the city. 

Zen had been forewarned about this, but he hadn’t been expecting so much extravagance. Their club music was replaced by a small orchestra playing on stage where the DJ normally spun his tunes. The lights were calm, golden and white as they remained still and trained upon a gallery of artwork and photographs being held up for auction. The tables were set with white and gold silk and floral arrangements or candles. The people were mostly of high society, sipping champagne or wine as they walked about clothed in name brand formal wear. 

Zen had to admit, he felt intimidated to some degree. Even with the few odd ones out who didn’t appear to be part of the elites, it was rather overwhelming. 

Nothing he owned was even close to name brand. And he had a personal distaste for high society. But he shoved his feelings down and wore his perfect smile as he played his role. It seemed his act was quite a hit and he found himself welcomed into almost every conversation as he worked the bar. He was even recognized for his theater work by a few people. It surprised him to some degree and he relished in the spotlight as he indulged his fans with some drinks and conversation about his plays. 

After about 3 hours of working the bar, he excused himself to take a break.

God he was tired. 

He made his way from the bar and took a chance to wander through the event, pausing to admire the artwork and photos on display. 

The images were lovely. The photographer especially had an incredible talent and vision for his craft. He could almost feel the different emotions the pictures were meant to share. Whoever made them, and it did appear that they were all taken by the same person, was a very talented artist. 

He paused to stare at one of a sunflower field, where he could just barely make out the form of a girl wearing a sundress between the flowers holding a bouquet of them and looking lovingly at them when someone stepped next to him. 

“It’s hard to believe he is actually selling these. But I suppose considering the circumstances and his reasoning, they are meant for a good cause” the man beside him spoke.

Zen looked over at the man next to him with a question at the tip of his tongue that was lost as he took notice of the guys appearance. Steady, grey eyes were locked onto the same piece that Zen had been observing. The man had high cheekbones and strong, smooth features. His skin was practically as flawless as Zen’s own. They appeared to be of similar heights too. 

As Zen glanced down, he noted the perfectly fitted suit. Fucking Armani or something Zen bet. He was holding a glass half full of red wine between his long, elegant fingers. Was he perhaps an artist of some sort? If Zen had to hazard a guess, he would assume maybe a painter or a musician. Although he was leaning toward musician. The guy didn’t seem like a painter. His hands held no sign of struggles or strain. It was likely he grew up without the need to do any manual labor and it showed. But hot damn were his hands attractive.

…

Zen realized he was staring and looked up to find the man’s eyes were on him now. 

SHIT!

“Y-Your glass is almost empty. Would you like me to get you more wine?” Zen stumbled as he tried to recover over the constant scream in his head at the moment. Hopefully the guy just thought that he was staring at the glass and NOT his hands.

Had he seriously just thought about how “attractive” a dude’s hands were?! 

What the FUCK was wrong with him?!

The man looked down at his glass, noting the amount remaining as he swirled it around, “…yes. I suppose I would” 

Zen nodded and rushed off to the bar, grabbing one of the bottles and taking a few seconds to breathe before returning. Right. He was at work so he needed to just toss away that ludicrous thought and do his job.

Hands. Of all things. He just had to focus in on some guys pretty hands and long fingers. His skin looked soft. He likely took good care. Possibly used lots of good lotions? If Zen touched them, he was pretty sure they would be soft.

DAMN IT! NOT helping!

As he returned (mentally sweating and slightly panicked) he gave the guy his movie star smile and held up the bottle to display it next to himself as he announced the wine brand and year before pouring the wine to fill the glass a bit below the brim.

Feeling awkward as hell, Zen decided to pick up the conversation that he had left earlier to try easing his discomfort, “I would guess you know the photographer, based on how you spoke earlier?”

The man gave a low hum of admission as he stared at Zen.

Zen stared back.

Was…was there something on his face? Oh god NO! Did he…dare he even think it?...did he have a…ZIT?! He felt sweat beginning to coat his body under the stare the other was giving him. One of his hands disobediently left its hold on the wine bottle as it came up to pat at his own cheek. There was nothing there other than the soft texture of his perfectly unblemished skin. 

“Would you be interested in being part of a cat food commercial?”

Zen felt something inside him snap.

“Ay-A-Wh-what?” he managed to form a word. It was a start.

“A cat food commercial” The other repeated, “Of course, you will be paid generously for your time and participation. You would be perfect for it” he held up his glass and sipped at the wine, eyes locked onto Zen once more.

Why was Zen feeling so nervous and self-conscious under this guys gaze? And why the FUCK would he agree to a cat food commercial!? Was this guy seriously thinking of Zen as some charity case?! Oh fuck no. He was not about to sell himself off to be posed and dolled up for a camera just for his looks and just because some guy thought he could use the extra money! (Although he could definitely use the extra money but that was far from the main point!)

“I…” Zen closed his eyes and cleared his throat before looking at the guy again, “I decline” he stated flatly.

The man’s eyes widened in surprise, “Decline?” he repeated the word as if he had never heard of such a thing, “why?”

“I’m allergic to cats. Besides, I don’t accept charity offers so if that was your intention from the beginning, then I doubly refuse” Zen’s perfect princely act was broken as he no longer smiled and opted for glaring at the man instead, “now if you will excuse me, I have work to get back to. Have a pleasant evening” he gave a very forced smile before turning on his heel and practically stomping back to the bar.

Why did everyone just see him for his looks? It was all the fucking same! Someone would point him out and be all ‘oh me gosh you are so pretty! Please be in my magazine!’ or ‘please accept our commercial offer!’ or ‘please model for me!’

…no one saw him for his talent. 

Okay, so he was being a little over-dramatic there, but the great majority of people only saw him for his appearance and nothing beyond that. He couldn’t describe the many times he felt more like an object than a person…just being used for someone else’s benefit. He really, really hated it. 

He returned the bottle to its place on the shelf, no longer feeling in the mood to be here. In fact, he wished he could just stop and walk out. But his manager would probably fire him at that point. He just needed to pull through a few more hours. And the event would end. 

He sighed and turned around….

And screamed, “YAAAAAAAA!”

Several people in the vicinity stopped to stare at him but Zen was a little too busy trying to calm down to notice.

The Armani fucker was standing right there across the bar table from him staring. 

Zen stared at him with wide, surprised and disbelieving eyes, hand clutching his shirt over his chest in a futile attempt to calm his startled heart. This guy was actually going to kill him, wasn’t he?! And why was he always STARING? And it wasn’t just a normal stare. It was serious and so extremely focused! 

The other man appeared…amused. He was fucking amused at the idea of KILLING someone. Great. Zen had attracted a morbid one this time. He could see it now, the headlines reading along the lines of “Most Beautiful Man on Earth Tragically Murdered by Persistent Cat Lover”. 

Based off the commercial proposal about cat food, this guy had to be a cat lover. 

Instead of apologizing or acting like a decent human being, the guy simply held out his hand with what looked like a business card clutched between his fingers (shit, did he get manicures or were his nails really that damn shiny naturally?!). 

Zen dropped his eyes to it. And in that moment of his shocked state, he slowly reached out and took the card, just holding it as the other withdrew his arm.

“My business card. In case you change your mind” the other explained before turning and walking away.

Zen’s brain was still in the midst of short circuiting as he attempted to process a single thought after his first near death experience. 

Okay so it wasn’t his first one. But it was definitely one of the more horrifying ones. And this was compared to the shit he went through during his active gang days. Who knew business cards could be considered deadly weapons? 

“…en….Zen! HEY!”

Zen blinked and turned to the side to see two of his other co-workers standing next to him, staring in awe and concern. The one closest to him had a hand hovering near Zen’s arm, “Dude, are you okay? You screamed…and you’re like a shade paler!”

Zen released the breath he realized he had been holding as his brain finally resumed normal functionality, “AGH! NO! That fucking asshole scared the living shit out of me! What is his problem!?” Zen began to harshly hiss through his teeth while ruffling up his hair in distress. Thankfully, he was smart enough not to go screaming like he wanted to right now. He didn’t need the customers hearing anything. That could be bad. 

The two co-workers shared a glance, relief evident in their relaxing postures, “okay, but man, you had us so worried there! We can help keep that dude away from you if he is being a creep. What the hell happened between you and that guy anyway?”

“Ugh, just the usual…another victim of my beauty who is far more persistent than some of the others” Zen decided to put it simply, glancing at the glossed business card in his hands. It was a very professional layout. Jumin Han. Huh. The name sounded familiar. Oh, there it is. Executive Director of C&R, the big food corporation. What a fucking Trust Fund Kid. 

Someone snapped their fingers nearby, “Hey! Ji-Yun, Ari, Zen! You have customers waiting!” their manager had come from the other side of the bar to get them back to work.

Zen shoved the card into his back pocket and nodded, “Sorry, sir. We’re on it!” 

He would toss the card later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I mention how much I love Zen and Yoosung's interactions? I think I did amazing with them! So proud of myself~ TwT  
> I hadn't actually meant for Zen to start disliking Jumin yet since he is meeting him for the first time here buuuuuuut Zen had other plans.  
> It kinda reminds me of two of my friends and how they first met. For absolutely no fathomable reason, the moment they laid eyes on one another, they hated each others guts. Like, literally, they HATED each other. They got tossed out of places because they couldn't keep from screaming profanities at one another and physically fighting.  
> Fast forward a few years and now they are a couple. They have plans to get married and everything. Like...damn! Owo  
> So I know this is an actual thing that can happen.


	3. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoosung and Zen both make a discovery about their own feelings over snacks and a movie.

“Whyyyyyyyy?”

Yoosung’s voice cried through the headset Zen was wearing as he made his way home from the grocery store.

“Because I only give free tickets to cute girls. It would be weird giving them to a guy! Besides, if you hadn’t spent everything you had on that new upgrade to your LOLOL character, then you could have bought one yourself” Zen pointed out, rolling his eyes as he heard Yoosung continue his onslaught of complaints and crying on the other end of the line. 

“I neeeeded them! I have to keep up so I can stay in my number two spot on the server! My spot is like your acting career to me! Pleeeeeaase! You gotta at least get that!” 

“Haha! Yoosung, dude, you seriously have to learn to work for your goals. Not everything is gonna come to you for free. I mean, you put so much effort into that game you play! How about trying to do that in reality? Last I checked, your grades are begging for more attention” Zen suggested, knowing where this was going to go.

And right on que, Yoosung made a choking sound before he began to detail the differences between the game and reality and why it has to be this way and blah blah blah.

Zen sighed, letting him go on his rant as he made his way home. He dropped the small bag of groceries on the kitchen counter and went to his room, deciding to tidy up a bit. While Yoosung was still on his rant (with Zen responding with hums and simple sounds of confirmation or disagreement) Zen was picking up his work clothes and getting them ready for tonight.

A sadly familiar business card fell from the pocket of his pants, catching his attention.

Zen paused and picked it up off the floor.

“…tch” he unintentionally made a disinterested sound as he went to toss it in the trash.

“What was that for!?” Yoosung sounded offended.

“Oh, shit, no sorry that wasn’t for you” Zen realized his mistake, tossing the card in the bin in his room, “I was readying my work clothes when this jerk’s business card fell from the pocket”

“Buisness card? Wait what are you talking about?” Yoosung asked, confusion evident in his tone but at least he wasn’t going on about LOLOL anymore.

“Yeah so the other night the club was rented out for an event with all these high-class people. They were doing a fundraiser for charity, which was cool but this one guy was such a dick. He offered me a part in a cat food commercial and gave me his card, even after I told him I wasn’t doing it, can you believe this guy?! He obviously thought I was going to change my mind at some point and kept pushing it” he vented as he laid out his clothes on a chair a little too carelessly. 

“You got an offer to be in a commercial!? Whoa! I mean, it sucks that it has cats but maybe it will just be the food and not the cats?” Yoosung offered his brilliant opinion. 

“Yoosung. I am _not_ doing the commercial. Besides, the guy picked me out for my looks, not my acting. I mean, this guy didn’t seem to even know who I was so I know he never saw me on stage. That and he might be a creep for all I know. It’s usually the pretty rich ones” Zen scrunched up his nose a little. 

“Wait! Do you mean to say….that…Y-you got hit on by a g-guy?! And what do you mean ‘p-pretty’?! Zen….I didn’t know y-“

“I am not!!!!” Zen cut him off swiftly, “That guy has some serious problems! Anyway. I kinda forgot about the whole deal until now” he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the full-length mirror on the back of his room’s door. His cheeks were tinged pink. Ugh. Yoosung could be so embarrassing sometimes. But that bit of color did wonders to his face.

“Really? But I thought guys interested in other guys had a gaydar! So he wouldn’t hit on someone who wasn’t also gay, right, right?” 

….

“Yoosung.”

“Yeah?”

“That’s not an actual thing”

“It…it isn’t?”

Zen ran a hand through his hair. Yoosung was so…gullible. It was really an endearing factor but also such a pain to deal with. 

“No, Yoosung, it isn’t. Not to the extent you are thinking at least. Besides, he wasn’t hitting on me. I don’t think so at least. He was trying to use me. There’s an obvious difference” he spoke as he brushed his bangs aside and studied his reflection, “Maybe some of them get a vibe based off another person’s actions or what they are wearing or such, but the gaydar thing isn’t real in the sense that you are believing it to be. Besides, you know I’m into girls” 

“Well…oh….I guess. But…you never really seem to stay with any girls you date. When was the last time you even had a date? I mean…what if…what if girls just aren’t your thing….”

Zen froze up. Something had changed in Yoosung’s tone half way through that sentence. The mood had shifted. This…didn’t sound like simply a lighthearted conversation anymore. And it didn’t sound like this was about Zen anymore either. Something in Yoosung’s lowered tone told him there was more going on with his friend than just trying to convince Zen that he might be into men. And as Yoosung’s best friend, he needed to find out who or what caused his friend to start sounding distressed and depressed and help!

“Hey, Yoosung? You know it’s…ok if that’s the case, right? I’m just…tired of finding out the girls I date aren’t as interested in me as they pretended to be…so I stopped. I’ve talked to you about this…remember the last one? That was…kinda a hard hit for me. But it sounds like you’re dealing with something pretty heavy yourself right now. Wanna tell me what you’re thinking?” if anything, Zen was loyal to a fault. Like Prince Charming, he was ready to come in for the rescue if need be. Normally he would chide Yoosung that he was being too wimpy or overthinking it, but this didn’t feel like a time for that. In fact, he should probably go visit him. 

Yoosung was silent for a few moments, “…it’s really ok?”

“Yeah dude. Ok, listen. I’m grabbing snacks and some drinks right now. You want me to come over or do you wanna come by my place? We can chill and chat and watch movies.” he smiled. Every now and then, he could make some exceptions for unhealthy habits, like eating junk food and staying up late. Zen himself was a bit of a night owl. 

“Oh…y-yeah. Ok. I’ll come over! Your place is bigger, but I’m bringing my laptop for the movies. Your tv sucks” Zen could hear the slight snicker in the others tone. Good. That meant that Yoosung was gonna be okay. 

“Ugh, bringing that up again? I told you I can’t afford a better one right now! Besides, look who’s talking! You don’t even own a tv!” Zen shot back, going out to the kitchen to check his fridge and put away the few groceries he got. Yup. He needed to splurge a little. He didn’t really have snacks…or drinks…and he was not sharing his beer with Yoosung. Last time he had done that had been a terrible mistake.

“Well it’s not like it would fit in the dorm! I need the space for my gaming gear! Anyway, I’ll be there soon! Thanks Zen!” Yoosung sounded a little happier.

“Yeah, I’ll be waiting” Zen replied, “catch you in a bit!” he then pressed the button on his headset to end the call, taking the earpieces out with a sigh. 

He grabbed his keys and once more, left his apartment to rush to the corner store. Cheering up your best friend 101: get their favorite beverages and snacks! 

Zen skimmed the shelves for chips, candy, soda and grabbed a chocolate milk, snickering to himself as he imagined the face Yoosung would make upon seeing it there. He made the purchase and headed back, pausing when he saw the nice man who sold the fish bread with his cart. How could he say no to those?

With his hands full of goodies, he returned home and spread the snacks and drinks out on the coffee table in front of the couch. Satisfied, he turned around and opened the camera on his phone, snapping a selfie of himself winking with the arrangement before sending it to Yoosung. He then went to the kitchen and grabbed an empty box, which he promptly set on the same table so they could place Yoosung’s laptop there. It made it easier to see the screen at a more eye level so they wouldn’t need to look down. Obviously, he had done this before. 

He wasn’t sure what he was going to do. But he felt Yoosung had some things he likely needed to talk about and Zen was all down for listening and supporting him. Even if he didn’t really understand what was going on with the other. He had some suspicions of where Yoosung might be going with this, but there was no proof as far as he was concerned. At least not yet. He also knew it might take a little bit of time for Yoosung to actually start talking about it. That was why he recommended the movie idea. 

He went to his room and changed clothes, getting out of his white blazer and black shirt to put on something simple and more comfortable. In this case: a grey cotton half sleeved shirt and black and gold accented sweat pants. 

He had work later that night, but that was still hours away so he might as well get comfy for now. And damn did he pull off the look! Seriously, he could make almost anything look so good! It truly was a gift. He was literally the epitome of perfection! Ah~ it was such a sweet tragedy~

Although sometimes…he hated it.

But he took out his phone and snapped a few pictures to post later anyway. As unfortunate as it was, his looks had a big hand in his success and popularity. One day, he hoped to overcome that with his talents. But for now… 

A knock at the door had him zoning back into existence. He made his way down the hall and opened the door, smiling brightly at his guest, “Hey! Right on time. Did you get my message?”

“You mean your selfie?” Yoosung corrected with a frown, then suddenly started punching Zen in the arm, “Why are you so damn handsome! Why can’t you leave some for the rest of us!? Stop being such a show off you meanie!” he complained, causing Zen to retreat inside and laugh as he tried to get away from the onslaught of weak punches that could easily become stronger if Yoosung suddenly decided to be serious. 

“What can I say? I’ve been blessed with the beauty of a god~ but not the power” Zen posed dramatically with a hand draped over his forehead.

Yoosung looked ready to sock him in the face. Oops.

Zen laughed and quickly retreated to the couch, “Sorry, it’s a habit. Anyway, I got everything set up! I couldn’t get any Honey Buddha chips on such short notice but hopefully a cheap knockoff will be ok for now” he pulled a bag of chips over and held it for the other to see. It wasn’t like he could get those chips on any notice. They were overpriced and hard to find! He’d need to literally beg for one from Seven to even get his hands on one bag, and seven did not part with them easily. 

That seemed to have calmed the others agitation as his eyes widened for a moment before he giggled a bit.

Yoosung was kinda cute when he wanted to be. If it weren’t for his gaming addiction and whiny personality and general clinginess, Zen didn’t doubt he could have found himself a girlfriend age’s ago. ….well actually he didn’t really mind those things about Yoosung as much as he acted like he did. They wouldn’t have been best friend if those were actually a issue. 

“Thanks Zen…that…that’s cool” Yoosung blushed, then froze up as he stared at the assortment, eyes going wide, “ZEN! Why would you get THAT!?” He pointed accusingly at the chocolate milk.

Zen burst into laughter, “Because I knew you would like it! OH SHIT! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please! Not the face!” He tossed up his arms to protect his face as Yoosung grabbed a couch pillow and began to smack Zen with it, accusing him of being mean and mentioning how Zen didn’t need such a pretty face anyway.

Zen took it as a compliment. 

Once the blonde was satisfied with pummeling Zen into the couch with his weapon, or at least done, he dropped the pillow back in its place and began fumbling with his computer bag as he worked to get the laptop out and set it up. He was grumbling about Zen and the chocolate milk.

Zen watched him fumble around a moment, catching his breath, before grabbing a beer from the table and popping the can open, “I didn’t get the milk just to laugh at you, you know. I know you actually do like it. Plus, I felt we needed at least ONE healthy thing on the table! I mean, what are friends for, right?” he smiled. 

He took a sip as he let his mind wonder about what possibly could have happened to Yoosung. He knew that he himself wasn’t exactly the smartest person in the room, especially by education. Yoosung was far smarter than him in that regard. Seriously though, the guy was working on a degree in VETERNARY SCIENCES! That shit was complicated. Although by street smarts and social situations, Zen was the superior intellect. But when it came to personal things unrelated to education or people, Zen was pretty sure they were on decently even grounds. 

Yoosung finished fiddling with the wires and soon had the laptop propped up on the box, taking a seat at the opposite end of the couch and getting cozy.

“So, did you have any movies you wanted to watch?” Yoosung asked.

Zen thought about it, then shrugged, “not really. Let’s see what they have online” he leaned forward to get a better view of the screen as Yoosung got onto a streaming site. They looked over the options and bickered over a few before settling for movie that was based on virtual reality gaming that looked to be an action/romance type deal. They both enjoyed romance, but Zen wasn’t into the gaming aspect as much as Yoosung was. It didn’t really matter, this was all to help Yoosung out and the movie could turn out to be interesting. 

Soon the snacks were being opened and consumed as the two settled in and the movie began. Zen offered to share his fish shaped bread and Yoosung convinced him in trying the chips.

There wasn’t much chatter other than the occasional comment or reaction. The mood had settled into a mild and relaxed feeling as the two laughed or cringed or talked to the screen as the characters took things the wrong way and placed their relationship at risk or did something terribly stupid.

By the time the end credits began, Yoosung was pouting and complaining once more about how all these guys managed to get girlfriends and how cruel it was for some people like him and Zen to still be single. 

Zen wholeheartedly agreed.

He finished his beer and set the empty can aside, about to ask what else Yoosung wanted to do today or watch. But the other beat him to the punch.

“Do…do you think maybe…we aren’t meant to have girlfriends?”

Zen looked over at him with a quizzical expression, “…that sounds really depressing put so straightforward. Like, what do you mean? You think we aren’t going to find anyone at all and be single forever?”

Yoosung shook his head, “No…not like that…I really, really hope not like that”

“Oh good because I really don’t want to spend my whole life being single” Zen relaxed. But Yoosung still seemed tense and anxious. So it was very possible that Zen was off the mark. Still, it was slowly leading in to what Yoosung really wanted to bring up and Zen had full intentions of letting the other bring it up himself. 

“What if we’re looking in the wrong place?”

“….huh?” Zen froze up again, deciding to play a little dumb, “What’s that supposed to mean? Like the wrong place as in location?”

“No. I mean…I dunno…like…” he was fiddling with his hands, “ugh, never mind! Forget I said anything!” he was about to get up from the couch and probably run away or something when Zen reached over and placed a hand on Yoosung’s shoulder, stopping him. 

Yoosung seemed like he really needed to say it, so Zen was intent on showing him that he would listen. 

“Hold on, Yoosung. Look, dude, you can talk to me. You know I won’t judge or mess with you when it’s serious. And this seems like something that’s really weighing on you. I mean…I know neither of us have had much luck with…relationships. But I’d like to hear what you have been struggling with. If someone caused you harm, I can visit them and explain exactly why that was a bad decision too. And even if that’s not the case, maybe I can help anyway?” Zen offered. If Yoosung needed support, then Zen could provide that, “I’m not going to reject who you are or your thoughts, if that helps a any”

Yoosung was staring at Zen with wide eyes and biting his lower lip. But it looked like what Zen said had reached him, because he settled back against the couch and pulled his legs up against his chest, “y-you really mean that?”

Those puppy eyes were such a deadly weapon.

“Yeah. I mean it” Zen nodded, giving him an encouraging smile. 

“Okay…um…what if…have you ever thought that…” he took another breath, “have you ever looked at another guy and thought they were pretty but not like just ‘oh he’s pretty’ but like ‘wow he’s pretty and I wannagetclosertohim’?” He said the last part in one breath.

Yoosung was avoiding eye contact and seemed to be regretting everything, a hard blush burning his face as he tried to hide it in his knees.

Zen stared at him, “Um…n…” he was about to say no because that would be his usual response because why the heck would he have every thought about a dude in a way in which he would want to get closer or touch him? And then the memory of that night at the club punched him in the gut.

He remembered the man’s hands…and his face. He clearly recalled thinking his looks were worthy of a model. High cheekbones, Carefully sculpted angles and perfect symmetry. And those eyes… and he had thought about how soft his skin was and what it would feel like.

“….oh” was all Zen said instead. 

He realized Yoosung was looking at him sadly, “…ah…ok, I just thought since you mentioned it on the phone earlier…”

It took Zen a moment to realize that it must have sounded like he just stretched out his “no”. 

“Um…ah-ha-ha…well actually” Zen rubbed at the back of his head and looked to the ceiling, “Shit…so you know how I told you earlier about the jerk from the other night?”

He wasn’t going to look at Yoosung right now. He was not.

“Well, I may have thought his face was pretty…in a way and I may have thought about what his hands might feel like. Fucking guy probably used money to buy his looks and probably has all the best beauty supplies but…shit. I mean, he wasn’t anything compared to me, but…”

He chanced a look at Yoosung. There went that plan to _not_ look at him.

He almost flinched back at the expression on the others face. The others eyes were distant and hazy, staring right through him. His lips curved very gently at the ends into a very small, and oddly creepy smile, “I thought you said you were straight…pretty boy”

Zen felt his breath catch in his throat. 

What kind of voice was that? It sounded like something he might hear in a horror film! Low, soft and way too clear to be considered normal speech.

He had never seen that look on Yoosung’s face before either. It sent a cold chill up his spine, reminding him of those days when he was part of a gang. He had to face a lot of dangerous situations back then. He didn’t think he would experience a similar feeling with the company he kept now.

But…this wasn’t some hoodlum trying to threaten him with a knife or gun. This was Yoosung.

With that thought in mind, Zen leaned forward, never breaking eye contact, and snapped his fingers in front of Yoosung’s face.

Yoosung blinked in surprise and jerked back, “AH!? H-hey, what was that for?!” 

Good, he looked to be back to normal and the tense atmosphere from a moment ago had dispersed entirely.

“Dude. You were making a creepy fucking face while staring at me. And talked weird. Don’t do that. But back to the main issue, why did you ask me that anyway?” Zen lead the conversation back to the topic.

What had that been just now? He had seen Yoosung make some terrible faces before but that…that had been new. And he certainly had not expected to feel his alert system reacting. It wasn’t even that it was a “terrible” face either, but more of unsettling. It kinda reminded him of something you might expect to see from the killer in a horror movie. 

Which was pretty insane considering how he thought he knew Yoosung pretty well. And he really hoped that his best friend wasn’t secretly a murderer or something. That would really complicate their relationship. 

“I was?” those innocent eyes looked confused for a moment, “sorry, I…I’m not sure what face I made…I just…I was actually kinda surprised? Did you really just admit that you thought a guy was pretty in that sort of way?”

He wasn’t going to let this go, was he?

Zen sighed and leaned back against the armrest, “this stays between us. But…for a moment, I guess I did. But like, I was thinking he was a model when I first saw him, and he seemed nice at first, cause he has those features the modeling agencies keep blabbering about so I was just comparing, I think” he tried to reason out his reaction. It wasn’t like he had never shaken hands with a model before. Except…he never actively thought about what their skin felt like. That was…weird, wasn’t it?

It seemed to have done the trick because Yoosung visibly relaxed to some degree, “Oh, that makes sense. You probably would know way too much about that”

“Unfortunately. Ugh, it’s really annoying” Zen admitted, “but you still haven’t answered my question”

“Right” Yoosung leaned back into a more comfortable position again, “I guess I just realized that I had thoughts like that before and wanted to know if…it was normal. It’s normal, right Zen?” he looked at the other.

Zen shrugged, “I guess. I think it kinda depends on the situation and what and how exactly you were thinking about it but it isn’t too weird, I don’t think”

Yoosung was quiet for a while, seemingly concentrating hard at the laptops keyboard, “…ok”

Zen watched him, then nudged his thigh with his foot.

Yoosung snapped his eyes down to the offending interruption, then pouted at Zen. Zen just chuckled, “I guess I still don’t get what’s going on. And you keep spacing out. Did something happen that you haven’t told me about yet?” he pushed a little. He knew Yoosung. And if the other was keeping something inside, it was bound to explode in the worst situation. So he wanted him to get it out in a safe environment to spare him the repercussions. 

“…WILL YOU PLEASE COME TO THE DANCE WITH ME?” 

Oh. There was the explosion.

Yoosung suddenly spouted it in a much louder voice than he needed to, his whole form tensing up, hands curled into fists around his legs, eyes suddenly shut tightly and head lowered. 

“….huh?!” was Zen’s suave response. 

He watched Yoosung’s lip quiver, then suddenly the other jumped off the couch and looked shocked, “A-ah! Did I seriously just say that!? Oh my god! I-I Am sorry! Forget it! I need to bathroom!” he sprinted out of the room and into the hall, slamming the bathroom door shut.

Zen was left to stare after him in utter confusion. It sank in slowly. 

Did Yoosung just ask him to go to his university’s dance with him?

But…hadn’t they arranged a plan for him to go with Seven instead? Why was he asking Zen? There was no way in hell that Zen was going to disguise himself as a girl and go! He couldn’t exactly go as himself either! And Zen clearly recalled Yoosung mentioning how “uncool” it would be to go with a guy friend. So what was….

Unless….

_Unless…_

Zen felt his face heating up. 

Did Yoosung intend to ask him to go with him as…a date?

Was this what he had been struggling with so much?! Wait, now his line of questioning made more sense. He was trying to see how Zen might feel about him asking! Oh Fuck. Zen felt so stupid for not catching on. He hadn’t realized Yoosung might like _him_ and just maybe guys in general! It wasn’t an issue, but how could he have not noticed!? They both knew Seven was bisexual and were cool with it. But…he hadn’t been expecting this. Why _him_.

But maybe he was wrong and Yoosung just didn’t want to risk being humiliated by asking Seven. Although they both knew Seven wouldn’t overdo it. The guy was chaotic, but he did care about his friends.

Wait…did this mean Yoosung had a serious thing for him?

Or was he overthinking this?

Shit! He didn’t understand the situation and had no idea how to react! 

Normally he would tell Yoosung a straight-out no. 

…

Actually, why wasn’t he simply rejecting him like he normally would? That should be more of a concern. But Yoosung seemed far too distraught at the moment to be able to handle such a response. It would be even worse if Yoosung really, seriously liked him and had tried asking him out and Zen just straight out rejected him. Zen didn’t want to make things awkward between them…and he really didn’t want Yoosung to be hurt by his response.

At least he knew if Yoosung wanted to date him, it wasn’t because of his looks or to use him. That was actually kinda comforting. 

Zen sighed and ran a hand back through his hair, then got up off the couch. 

He couldn’t accept the offer even if he wanted to. They weren’t living in a very accepting community right now and with Zen still working his way up to fame, a scandal could ruin everything he had worked so hard for. He was walking on thin ice with his career as it was. But…

He came to the door and hesitated a second before knocking, “Yoosung? Um…I admit I wasn’t expecting that. But…I can’t accept the invitation. It’s…it’s not that I don’t want to, exactly. I really think we’d have fun. But, if someone sees us at such a place and gets the impression that we are together…it might become a scandal and break my…acting career. I’m not in a place where it won’t matter what I do yet” he paused a moment, “I don’t know if you meant to ask that because you…want to date or something and I’m actually kinda flattered if that’s the case cause, heh, I know you of all people would want to go out with me because you actually like me. But even then, I…can’t really accept because of the…um, situation” he was trying his best here. And damn did he feel awkward and nervous, shifting his weight and tugging at his hair.

He heard a faint movement and Yoosung’s strained voice, “I-it’s ok…I get it. I..I didn’t mean it like that”

“Yeah…um, how about I make it up to you? This once, I’ll make an exception. You can have a ticket to my performance. Just don’t go saying I gave it to you! First of all, Seven will never let that go and secondly, it will ruin my reputation” Zen offered.

There was silence for a bit, there was a click, then the door handle turned and the door slowly opened.

Yoosung looked up at him as he exited the bathroom, then gave a small smile, “Ok. So…you don’t hate me?”

Zen shook his head, “it’s gonna take more than you asking me to a dance to get me to hate you. Like, a LOT more. I mean, you’d totally be my type if you were a girl, so you’d need to like really work on it for me to actually come even close to hating you” he winked before turning away and heading back to the couch, grabbing his empty can and going to the kitchen to rinse it out and toss it in the recycling. 

He couldn’t get himself to look at Yoosung right now. He literally just admitted, without meaning to, that embarrassing detail of his thoughts. 

Ughhhhhh now Yoosung was totally going to get the wrong impression and Zen was digging his own grave! 

But maybe Yoosung had a point earlier…was this what he meant when he was talking about them looking for a relationship in the wrong place? 

He found he wasn’t as opposed to the idea of going out with a guy as he had originally thought he would be. Or maybe it was just because it was Yoosung he was thinking about right now. He obviously felt comfortable around his best friend. Like, guys in general were still not his thing, right?

…

Did he have a hand fetish?

_Oh…god._

“Zen?”

Zen perked up, realizing he had been leaning over the running sink after tossing the can away, totally lost in thought, “Hm? Oh sorry, I was just thinking”

He turned the water off and quickly stomped the unsolicited thought down, “do you wanna watch another movie? Or do you wanna play a game or something else?”

He took notice of the light tinge of pink covering Yoosung’s face. Cute.

….damn his unrestrained thoughts!

Thankfully, Yoosung let him keep his thoughts to himself, not pressing him for details about the incriminating statement he had revealed earlier or what he was thinking about now, “oh yeah! You have board games! Wanna continue where we left off in monopoly? I still have the pictures saved~” he grinned as he pulled his phone from his pocket excitedly and began digging through what Zen could only assume was his photo gallery for those pictures. During their last monopoly session of 4 hours (give or take 30 minutes), Yoosung snapped photos of the board and where their pieces were and how much money they each had so they could continue it later.

It seemed he had recovered a little and was being himself once more. 

Zen laughed, feeling himself relax as they fell back into their usual interactions, “okay but don’t go crying when you lose~” Zen smirked, walking off to get the game and set it up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part was unplanned and just...happened. You know how characters, especially the well developed ones, can sometimes make decisions without you intending them to? Yeah, well, that's what happened in this chapter. I did _not_ see that that coming!  
> I hope everyone is okay and doing well out there~ and thank you for stopping by to read!


	4. Second Encounter of the Jerk Kind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zen felt his agitation increasing fast, “…you know what. Since you don’t seem to get it, let me try telling you a different way. Fuck you” he stated and turned back to glare down at his drink. 
> 
> Jumin’s eyes widened, “that would be rather bold of you”
> 
> Zen physically jerked back and almost choked on his drink as he realized what the guy said.
> 
> (and 707 Makes his debute!!!)

It was maybe two nights later that Zen found himself at the club. 

But he wasn’t here for work. Not tonight.

They had a new and upcoming DJ spinning some new tracks on stage that he had been interested in hearing. That and he desperately needed to get rid of some pre-show jitters and let loose for a while. His director had told the cast to take it easy for a few days after rehearsals. They would do a final run through the day before the show, but that wasn’t helping Zen relax. He had every line memorized, every motion perfected, every expression flawless! But he hated just sitting back and waiting! 

The speakers shook the room with their bass.

Boom. Boom. THUD-D-D!

The overwhelming stench of incense and perfume, of sweat and alcohol permeated the room. And Zen barely noticed as his feet automatically took him to the bar. He waved to one of his co-workers and decided to grab a discounted beer, chatting excitedly about his upcoming performance and his reason for being here on his free day. 

His co-worker leaned on the bar to chat with him, seeming excited for Zen about the upcoming event. He wasn’t able to stay long and keep the conversation up seeing as he was on the clock. Zen thanked him for taking a moment to chat before he focused on his drink.

However, drinks had not been his original intent in coming here. His eyes strayed over to his main object, watching the lights and bodies moving in the center of the club. 

Now was his time to shine.

He finished the drink and left a tip under the cup as he made his way there.

His black jacket had the sleeves rolled up and was open at the front to reveal his white, V-neck shirt. Silver, striking patters clawed their way from one corner up to the other. A silver necklace with a skull pendant glistened around his neck with a matching chain at his hip. Black pants that hugged his legs really did their part in showing off the length of his legs. Bright red, ankle high sneakers with a matching silver pattern reflected the light in a holographic display. Red, fingerless gloves finished off the assemble, bringing out the color of his eyes.

Overall, his outfit was flashy, but was fashioned for ease of movement.

But he didn’t dress up to be seen. Much. 

No, this was for his own fun. 

Just as the beat dropped, he found a space all to himself on the dance floor. And then he was off, snapping his body into motion as the track picked back up. His movements left no room for doubt that he knew what he was doing. From the sway of his hips to the quick motion of his feet and accents of his hands, he was an unstoppable fiend thriving in his element. 

And he knew people were staring. He knew people were cheering him on. Oh he _definitely_ knew he was dominating the dance floor. And he relished every second of it.

All that time acting in musicals wasn’t just for his career. 

He spun around, the long tail of his hair fanning out around him and landing perfectly over his opposite shoulder as he stopped to smirk, a finger on his lips as he directed a wink at the crowd currently encircling him. 

It seemed that people had moved back to encircle him, screaming and jumping and cheering in their excitement. 

And then the challenges began. 

The circle was a decent size, inviting opponents to try taking Zen on.

The first contestant hopped forward with a pirouette that blended into a crazed set of freeform moves.

Zen almost rolled his eyes. _Amateurs_ , he thought, without any malice. Well that was fine, Zen had his own, far more elegant freeform style that he didn’t hesitate to show. And he gladly put it on display, moving to the music in the way that felt just right while showcasing his control of his motions. 

Freeform was the heart of dancing, in his opinion. Regardless of any talent or knowledge of dance, freeform revealed a person’s passion. It revealed their love for music, revealed their emotions, freed their very spirit! It was all energy and emotion in a physical form, an intimate display that couldn’t be overlooked and should never be judged. 

He heard the crowd roar with excitement and stepped back once more, waving a dismissive arm at them in general, a bright smile on his face.

It seemed that the other had backed down, cheering with the crowd once more as another took his place to show off in the spotlight, allowing for several other people to try their thing in the center of the circle as the battle had now turned into an opportunity to be the center of attention. 

Zen applauded and cheered with the crowd up until a hot-headed raver jumped forward, motions sharp and sudden as he showed off his knowledge in a quick succession of hip-hop moves that worked very well with the rhythm being blasted at them. He then lunged forward, switching to a break dance feat, supporting is weight on one arm as he struck a pose, then dropped into a roll and jumped back onto his feet, waving his arm in front of him, daring Zen to beat that.

Impressive. Zen tilted his head in acknowledgement of the mans’ obvious talent. Now this wa a challenger.

Zen took his chance to take back the stage. The crowd was screaming themselves hoarse and Zen could feel adrenaline pumping hard in his veins as he watched his opponent back up and smirk at him. There wasn’t a dance style out there that he didn’t either know or had tried at some point. And hip-hop with a side of break dance was one of his stronger talents. The other being ballet, believe it or not. It proved very useful for more than a few of his musical performances.

And he was off, jumping right into the motions, coordination perfected through years of training as he let the music command him. His feet barely seemed to touch the ground, as he seemed to fly over it with an air of strength and elegance. He dropped low for a moment only to spring back up, then skipped himself forward and flipped upside-down, legs spinning around haphazardly as he supported his weight on one arm for a second, then dropped down onto the back of his shoulders and completed the spin before lunging back up onto his feet and jumping into a pose. 

A devilish smirk played on his lips as he bowed to his opponent, deciding to take a break as another dancer took the stage. He gave his previous opponent a high five before backing his way into the crowd, then leaving the floor. 

His breath came in heavy pants, sweat coating his skin and staining his clothes. His hair clung to his neck and forehead and he had lost his hair tie somewhere during that scene. He wasn’t too worried since he had a spare pocketed. But it wasn’t going to do much good right now. 

He felt so free! This had been exactly what he had needed to unwind and relax. All of that pent up tension from the week before was melting from his form, leaving him feeling light and in such incredibly good spirits!

He glanced at the clock near the bar as he approached, noticing he had been dancing for a good hour.

He planned to hit up the bar to grab another drink, but suddenly froze in place as he noticed a familiar patron on the stool there. 

Grey eyes locked onto red. 

Zen barely held back his scowl as he finally approached the bar, his breath still a little strained and he no doubt looked decently disheveled. He found himself having to sit next to the guy as it was currently the only available seat that wasn’t either crowded or taken. 

He elected to ignore the guy. Hopefully he would get the hint. Zen didn’t care to socialize with another idiot who only cared to use him for whatever reason. 

The world was a bitch like that. Use and be used. Give and take. There weren’t many people out there who truly had innocent intentions. Money drove most people, and Zen did his best to avoid those. Those were dangerous. Much like the man that was sitting here now, watching him. Even if he was pretty and caught the smallest bit of Zen’s interest for reasons the other couldn’t explain. 

So when the guy spoke up, Zen wasn’t sure if he should feel giddy or annoyed.

“I am impressed”

Zen perked up and looked over. 

Well fuck. There went the plan to give the guy the cold shoulder.

He couldn’t resist a compliment. It was such a pathetic weakness. Right now he was in a state of hatred over his current inability to resist such an obvious ploy for his attention. But it was too late now. Then again, it wasn’t like he actually _knew_ the guy. Maybe he wasn’t so bad. After all, he obviously knew talent when he saw it considering he had just complimented Zen. 

“You have danced professionally before. Your efforts show” the man tried to clarify as if he thought Zen wasn’t sure what he was talking about. 

The guy was dressed…too formally for a club. He was in a striped, white, button down shirt, wearing a tie and black vest with matching black pants. His coat was neatly folded over his lap.

If Zen wasn’t mistaken, it sounded like this dude had been watching him dance for a while. 

He hoped the color that blossomed on his cheeks could be misinterpreted for overexertion from his dancing.

“Um…thanks” Zen finally replied, “Dude. Um…I hate to point this out but, you do realize you’re in a club, right?” He looked over at the bartender who brought him another glass of beer, thanking him.

“Yes” the man answered, seeming confused.

“And…are you here for some private room business meeting or something? Cause those are over there on the second floor” Zen thumbed toward the second floor with his thumb over his shoulder, taking a gulp from his glass. He realized that he might be acting a little rude right now, but who the hell came to a club dressed like _that_ unless they had some private meeting or were there for a private event?

“Why would I be here for a meeting?” The guy seemed confused. 

Zen stared. Did he…did he seriously not see the issue with this?

“Okay…um, let me spell this out for you with more clarity. Why are you dressed like _that_ if you aren’t here for some private meeting or whatever? No one comes in here dressed like a businessman just to get a drink! This is a dance club, not a strip club, and you are obviously not here to dance” Zen tried again, indicating what he was wearing for emphasis.

The guy, who he was pretty sure was named Jumin since it was the name on that business card he had tossed (how the fuck did he remember that?), glanced down at his attire before looking back at Zen, seeming offended. His eyes scanned the other over curiously, causing Zen to feel slightly nervous. Why the _fuck_ did he feel nervous?

“Why would you think I wanted to attend a strip club? Is my suit a problem here?” Jumin asked, his eyes connecting once more with Zen’s. Damn his fucking empty face. Zen couldn’t get a read on him now! His expression was such a blank slate! It was really unnerving. 

Zen gave an exasperated groan, nerves forgotten, “You know what? Nevermind. No. You’re fine. It’s just weird. Why are you here anyway then?” Best to drop the topic now than face some unknown consequence later.

Jumin raised up the glass of wine, “This bar serves an especially delicate and favored wine of mine” he seemed to think that explanation would satisfy Zen. 

“…dude. You can probably afford a crate of that same wine and have it at home. So, that really doesn’t explain why you are actually here. You really don’t look like the type to come to a club like this without some greater reason” Zen gave him a scrutinizing side glance as he leaned over the table and sipped more of his beer. Why was he even talking to this dude? Why was the guy bothering to talk to him? Why was he feeling self-conscious?! Zen _never_ felt self-conscious!

Jumin watched him for a moment in silence before turning to lean on the table as well, looking at his wine before sipping at it. “You never contacted me about my offer for the commercial”

Zen turned his head slowly to give the guy a blank stare, “No. I didn’t. because _I am not interested_ ” he emphasized, again. Well this odd but decently ok conversation had taken a very sharp turn in the opposite direction. So Jumin was just here to try forcing his cooperation. Great! Just when Zen had thought that maybe that wasn’t the case, too. 

He felt oddly disappointed by this. 

“Because of the allergy?” Jumin prodded, “depending on the seriousness of your allergy, I can provide you with allergy relief medicine and groom Elizabeth the 3ed before the shoot-”

Zen laughed, “are you serious!? No! I am not doing your fucking commercial! God! And who the hell is Elizabeth the 3ed?!” he felt that disappointment quickly turn to irritation. 

“…my cat. Her heavenly fur is far too pure to cause any allergic reactions and I assure you she is on a strict diet and grooming regimen” Jumin explained again, his surprise at Zen’s outburst fading as his eyes softened upon speaking about…his damned cat. 

Why did Zen get the vague impression like Jumin was talking about a girlfriend rather than a cat? Oof, that was a disturbing thought. Let’s not tread that line of thought because bestiality was not something Zen wanted to ever encounter.

And what kind of name was that!? 

Zen felt his agitation increasing fast, “…you know what. Since you don’t seem to get it, let me try telling you a different way. Fuck you” he stated and turned back to glare down at his drink. 

Jumin’s eyes widened, “that would be rather bold of you”

Zen physically jerked back and almost choked on his drink as he realized what the guy said. Did the temperature in this place suddenly spike or was it just him? He was actually at a loss for words as he sputtered, stuttered and stumbled over a few sounds, clearing his throat through a few coughs, unable to form a complete word. Of all the things he was expecting form this psycho, that had not been one of them.

And then the bastard smirked. 

He fucking smirked! His lip curled to one side and the victorious glint in his eyes was unmistakable. Zen had just waltzed right into his trap and had been _destroyed_. 

He had not been expecting that and now felt utterly humiliated and pissed. 

He glared daggers at the other, knowing that even a comeback wasn’t going to save him now. If only looks could _actually_ kill. 

He had allowed his shock to take that opportunity away from him. The fact that he had very obviously choked on his beer also hadn’t helped.

“If you are that unwilling to budge in your decision, then I will not press any further. For now.” Jumin suddenly stated.

Zen was too busy chugging his beer down to respond, trying to ignore him and get out of there as soon as he possibly could. Great, so he planned to annoy Zen _again_ about this! Why was he being such a persistent ass?

Jumin wore a smug little smirk as he finished his glass, and set down the equivalent of $50 as a tip in cash before standing up, “One more thing. We failed to properly introduce ourselves the first time we met so I find myself at a disadvantage in not knowing your name”

Zen gave an indignant huff, “Sucks to be you then. Why don’t you go try to figure it out?”

Jumin’s eyebrows raised in what Zen could only assume was mild surprise, “Is that a challenge or a request?”

“Like I said; figure it out” Zen waved him off dismissively. 

Jumin watched him carefully for a second before nodding, “I will take that as you granting me permission to do what I can to discover your name. Next time we meet, I will be sure to know it. Goodnight.” With that, he left the bar. 

Zen glared at his back (unfortunately enjoying the way that tailored fucking suit looked on him) until he was out of sight. 

He then looked back to his drink. An irritated hiss escaped from behind his clenched teeth. That guy was so infuriating! To think he had the audacity to show up here and ruin Zen’s night! How the fuck?! 

Upset, irritated, frustrated and not feeling in the mood to enjoy the nightlife anymore, he finished off the rest of his beer and got up, leaving his own tip before walking off. He had every intention of walking home and punching a wall on the way. 

### 

Could his night get _any_ worse?! 

He did, in fact, go down an alley and punched something, although it was not a wall because he had at least enough common sense to remind himself that he had a musical to do in two days. He couldn’t risk an injury. So, he had grabbed a discarded box and tossed it in the air before giving an all-out punch, sending it flying and slamming into the ground. 

He didn’t feel satisfied but at least he got a bit of his frustration out.

Whatever. That guy did not know who Zen was and only knew he worked at the club. If he tried to make contact with him again, like the fucking stalker he might be, Zen could get him banned from entering the club again. After all, it was a club. And clubs tended to have bouncers and security. The one he worked at had all of the above. 

He huffed and pulled out his cigarette pack from his jacket along with a lighter. He tried very hard not to smoke too much. Unfortunately, when his emotions got out of hand like this, he had a bad tendency to fall back on them. 

Why was Jumin so persistent on this anyway? Maybe he wasn’t used to not getting his way? No doubt this guy was one of those types that had everything given to them and expected it to stay that way. Or he was just another control freak who hated it when something faltered from its intended purpose. If that was the case then Zen had a surprise for him!

He should talk to Yoosung about it. But it was late and Yoosung probably shouldn’t be disturbed simply for the sake of the very minimal chance that he was actually asleep and _not_ gaming. 

Zen turned and headed back out onto the street, making his way to the storage he rented for his motorcycle. 

It seemed like his pre-show jitters had taken a very negative turn.

### 

In the next hour, he was speeding down the highway with no actual destination in mind. He planned to go wherever the path took him. If something caught his interest, then so be it. He just needed to clear his head. 

Why was he so irritated? It couldn’t be just because of Jumin. It _couldn’t_ be. He had never felt such irrational anger directed at any singular person before! So what was it about this one? Was it because he was obviously rich? Was it his mechanical seeming personality and responses? Perhaps it had to do with the guys inability to comprehend ‘No’? Was it because he just wanted to use Zen like all the others? Or was it because Zen felt way too many weird and conflicting feelings whenever they spoke?

No, those didn’t seem like the right answers. Maybe a combination of them?

Zen grumbled to himself and tried to relax. He knew it wasn’t going to happen with his mind racing almost as fast as his motorcycle. He tried anyway.

He thought back to his conversation with Yoosung before. Was it possible? Was Zen maybe feeling like this because he might actually kind of _like_ that jerk? But that didn’t make any sense! If anything, it was merely a physical attraction. The dudes’ personality was complete shit! 

Oh fuck. Did he seriously just think that he had an issue with Jumin because of a _physical_ attraction?! No…no. NO! Was it possible that he really might be bisexual or even gay? Was Yoosung maybe onto something the entire time?!

Even if that might be the case, _why this guy_? If anything, he would much rather go for Yoosung. At least he was cute, fun and Zen liked him in a more adoring way.

…

…..

He quickly shut and locked the door on that thought, intent on never revisiting it again. 

There was now an odd sense of worry consuming his mind. This new revelation was a bit overwhelming for him. He had thought he was entirely straight up until now. And he didn’t know what he was feeling. He didn’t understand anything, much less himself. And he had always been so _certain_ of everything concerning him. 

This was one of the few times in his life that he found himself not knowing what to do or think. 

He was jerked away from his thoughts by the angry snarl of a car’s engine. He turned to see who it was racing past him. A red sports car shot by in the next lane, slowing down only once it was ahead of him. Damn, that was a nice car, all curves and sharp edges, shiny and with a red and gold paint job. It had nothing on his motorcycle, but it was pretty.

….

Wait a minute.

Zen leaned forward and sped up till he was riding next to the car, looking over to see the driver. 

A goofy grin and mop of crazy red hair told him all he needed to confirm his suspicions. 

Seven looked over and finger gunned him.

Zen flipped him the finger in return.

Seven raised his hand over his lips and made a scandalized expression, going as far as to even blush.

Zen laughed. God this idiot. He hadn’t seen him in a while.

Seven snickered and then stepped on the gas, racing ahead again.

Zen wasn’t about to let him get away. He revved his motor and gave chase, glancing around to be sure the highway was open enough to be a little crazy and no cops were around, then zipped to the other side of the car and caught up once more, glancing at Seven who seemed to be laughing.

The car gave an angry roar as it suddenly shot forward once more, switching lanes to be ahead of Zen, then once more to get onto the off ramp, slowing down.

Seemed like they were heading off. Well, Zen hoped Seven didn’t mind him trailing along. It was rare enough catching Seven out in public as it was. And if he hadn’t wanted to be followed, then Zen was pretty sure he would have let him know in some way.

Zen followed along behind until they drove into a decently empty parking lot to a 24-hour burger joint.

He parked his bike, unclasping his helmet and sliding it off. He ruffled his hair a little before running his fingers back through it to fix any mess the helmet might have caused. 

“Ya-hoooo! Ze-n!” Seven came over with an excited wave, locking up his car with the press of a button. 

The car meowed.

Zen stared.

Seven bounced happily, then blushed and brought his hands up to his cheeks as he went into fangirl mode, “Ahhhh! Isn’t my baby precious?! I modded her voice and I can’t get enough of her!”

Zen burst out into laughter, then sneezed, “Damn it! Seven you’re going to give me allergies!”

“But don’t you already have them?”

“Shut up. Anyway, it’s been a while, where have you been all this time?”

Seven put a finger up to his lips, “That’s a secret, it is! Super-secret agent 7 0 7 saved the world yet again! But can’t talk about it. It’s in the contract~” 

Zen slowly shook his head, “Ugh, fine then, don’t tell me” Seriously, Zen actually had no idea what to make of this guy. Seven was brilliant. But he was also crazy. All Zen really knew about his work was that he was a hacker. Otherwise, Seven refused to tell him or Yoosung anything related to his actual job. Even if he did, they wouldn’t actually know what he did since his story changed daily. At one point, Zen and Yoosung decided to accept whatever Seven said and play along. 

“Heh, Wanna grab a meal? I haven’t eaten in _DAYS_! I was on my way to grab a bite when I saw you~” Seven explained, “I’ll pay! It will be like a date!”

Zen was about to protest and argue about the date detail when Seven suddenly ran off laughing like a maniac into the burger restaurant. Where did he get that speed?

It seemed he wasn’t allowing Zen to have the option of refusing. Not that it mattered really because Zen knew Seven was loaded. But he still felt bad about it. As for the date part, Zen would let it slide, since he knew the other was joking. Probably. 

They sat at a booth after having ordered and Seven went into a dramatic tale of how he saved a very important cat from the terrible grasp of a gang of catnappers.

Zen played along, feeling a lot better already. His turmoil was temporarily forgotten.

Their order was brought over and Zen couldn’t help staring at Seven’s two large burgers and two large fries, strawberry milkshake, large soda that was probably filled with Ph.D. Pepper and slice of pie.

“Dude, are you seriously going to eat _all_ of that?” Zen questioned, flabbergasted. 

“Oh yeah~ I have three stomachs for a reason you know! Nyeh nyeh~” Seven clapped his hands together and rubbed, his glasses catching the light and glinting sharply before he reached for his first burger.

“…were you actually serious about not having eaten in days?” Zen’s tone took on a more concerned note, “I mean I understand Yoosung and his bad eating habits, but you too?”

Seven was busy shoving burger into his mouth to respond, choosing to give a shot at an innocent look. It failed terribly but the effort was there.

Zen slid a hand down his face, “…do I have to start sending you daily reminders to eat as well?”

“Mom Zen comes to make sure we all eat on time! What would we ever do without you?” Seven exclaimed after gulping down what he was chewing, chasing it down with his milkshake.

“Oh my god. No. Don’t do that” Zen frowned.

Seven giggled, “okie doki, Mom! Ms, Vanderwood the Third normally handles my schedule anyway! When she is around that is. Oh! I got a very interesting text from Yoosung earlier~ can you guess what it was? Can you guess?”

Zen had a feeling he knew where that was going, “First of all, I think your maid needs to do a better job of that. And No~ I cannot fathom what it could possibly be that Yoosung texted!” he faked surprise.

Seven grinned, “Oh-ho ho! You DO know! Did you have anything to do with it, by any chance, Ze-n~?” 

“Accusing _me_? Of knowing something I could _not_ possibly know! You should be ashamed, Seven! How could I possibly know that Yoosung probably texted you about his school dance after losing a bet to me~?” he played along with sarcasm and too much grinning. He might as well help Yoosung out a little with the plan they created.

Seven laughed, “I was wondering how he got the idea to ask me! Apparently, it was all thanks to my number one wingman!” he made a nudging motion across the table and winked at Zen. Zen winked back and finger gunned him. They both burst into laughter after that.

Seven took another bite of his burger and began to play on his phone.

“Try not to tease him too much. I don’t think he would forgive you for embarrassing him at his school” Zen pointed out.

“No promises~” Seven grinned like a devil. 

“Also, part of the bet was that you should dress like a girl” Zen added, dipping a fry into ketchup, “since you weren’t directly involved in the bet, we can’t really get you to uphold that part but, it would be hilarious~” he took a bite.

Seven grinned like a devil and his glasses sparkled sharply as they caught the light, “Remember that time you almost asked me out on a date?”

Zen choked on his fry.

Seven burst into laughter.

Zen tossed the remainder of said fry at him, “We do _not_ talk about that! How was I even supposed to know it was you! You were wearing _FULL MAKEUP_ and _COLORED CONTACTS_! Plus a dress and _HEELS_!”

Seven had fallen over after being hit in the face with the fry, clutching his stomach as he tried to breathe between bursts of uncontrolled laughs as he lay across the booth seat. 

Zen frowned, “Ugh, I knew I was never going to live that down” he dropped his head on the table in defeat, having shoved his tray aside. 

Seven recovered after about several minutes and continued eating as the two thankfully switched the topic to what Seven was planning for the dance. 

Impressively, Seven did manage to eat practically everything and their conversation lapsed into a comfortable silence as Seven got distracted by his phone and Zen snapped a few selfies. The messy appearance actually didn’t look half bad on him.

“I haven’t seen you on your bike in a while. What happened?” Seven suddenly asked, sipping at his soda.

Zen narrowed at his eyes at his reflection in the camera of his phone before he set the device down, “…I don’t think I am ready to talk about that right now. There’s…it’s a lot and I haven’t processed most of it yet so I guess I can’t even really talk about it anyway” he sighed.

Seven gave a small nod, not saying anything for a bit as they finished up their meals.

Zen liked that about Seven. Normally he would push the issue and get answers, but he was smart enough to catch on to when it wasn’t the time to tease and prod for information. Especially if it was personal. 

“I should be heading home. I’ve still got a lot of work to get through” Seven finally slid out of the booth and slipped his hands into his pockets.

Zen nodded, also getting up, “Yeah, me too. Thanks dude. I was having a pretty bad moment earlier”

Seven gave him a thumbs up and a toothy smile, “We all have our bad days. But if you need any help with whatever is going on, you can always count on me! Hero 707, to the rescue!”

“If the issue gets out of hand, I’ll be sure to let you know” Zen laughed, “And the same goes for you. You know you have me and Yoosung when you need to talk or if you need some help”

Seven looked away. He had a distant look, like he was miles away where Zen feared no might be able to reach him. But then a small, genuine smile replacing the exaggerated grin he normally wore, “yeah, I know”

Zen let out a small breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding and proceeded to give him a friendly punch to the arm.

Seven chuckled, “Oh! By the way, I wanted to ask you if wanted to join this fund-raising charity organization I’m part of. We finally decided to open to new members and I think you could really help out with your talents and all!”

“Charity, huh? Well if you’re part of it, I don’t see why not. What’s it called and how do I join?” Zen quickly agreed. It would be good to join up with something like that. It could help him in his career and popularity, but it would also feel good to raise funds for important causes and needs.

“Great! Okay, so it’s called Rika’s Fundraising Association, RFA for short, and we hold events every few months or so to raise money for all kinds of good…” Seven began to explain as they left the restaurant.

“RFA…wait…didn’t the RFA host an event at the club I work at recently?” Zen realized.

“Yup! I wanted to use that chance to introduce the idea to you and let you meet the other members but work came up and I wasn’t able to attend. But that’s the RFA! Pretty neat, right? It’s seriously exclusive but highly successful as far as the events go! Anyone attending is required to have an invitation or special permission. I know most people attending the events are high class, but not all of them are. Like I said, anyone who has an invite is welcome. Those are just the ones who have the most dough, nyeh-heh-heh~” Seven rubbed his thumbs against his fingers greedily.

“Well that’s fine. I would probably have trouble with fans if it was an open event. I mean, it looked pretty neat from what I saw at the club. I didn’t meet the people running it because I was busy with the bar most of the night so I’d like to meet them and see what would be expected with me joining before I make the final decision.” 

“We are in desperate need of someone to handle the communications and planning. So far, I’m handling the app and the others are cooperating to handle the emails and we hire people for the planning but it’s really inconsistent, you know? We need someone to handle the media and balance everything out too. Maybe you can help with that? You’re pretty good with scheduling, the media and you’re creative in general!” Seven pointed out, taking out his car keys, “anyway, I’ll see you later! I’ll update you as we figure things out”

Zen nodded, “I am pretty good with fan-mail and the media. Yeah, cool, let me know when you figure whatever it is out!”

“See ya laterz!” Seven waved, clicking a button to unlock his car. It meowed. Again.

Seven squealed in excitement.

Zen rolled his eyes and went to his bike. It was pretty late at this point. He should get home, shower and sleep. At the very least, he felt much calmer and relaxed now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Whew!_
> 
> Okay so this actually took a while and several edits and re-reads! Why? Cause I have issues. But that is beside the point. 
> 
> I want the interactions in this fic to be fluid and not end up forced or anything, and Jumin and Zen's parts are particularly in need of my focus just because of their magnetic personalities (in both ways). That and they're kinda my main goal here, although damn is Yoosung making my life hard!;; I actually hadn't expected that XD
> 
> It's my first time actually writing a fic that I decided to share, so I guess I'm also a bit nervous about that part. 
> 
> Anyway, next chapter is gonna get interesting~ there's a gun involved.


	5. V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> > “Look…he took Rika from me! He took her and then he didn’t save her when he could have! She was sick and hurting and he didn’t save her! Okay? THAT is what’s going on! He _KILLED_ Rika! Okay?” Yoosung suddenly burst out, finally turning around and locking eyes with Zen. 
>> 
>> Zen was shocked.
> 
> In which an unforeseen shooting involving Zen and V reveals that there may be a lot more going on than Zen had realized.

The day of the performance finally came. 

Zen felt riddled with pre-show jitters as he adjusted his makeup in the mirror. And when he said makeup, he meant glitter. Just glitter. Nothing more. Because let’s face it, he was beyond picture perfect as he was. The glitter was just meant as a small accent for the lights to focus on. It wasn’t meant to be distracting, but to add a magical glow to his skin.

He was playing the villain in this show, but no one was supposed to know that until near the ending. They were supposed to think the villain was actually his co-star.

He wanted to make this one of his best productions. He knew Yoosung was going to be in the audience today. And last he heard, Yoosung had asked Seven to come because he didn’t want to go alone. So Seven was possibly there as well, likely eating some snack and bickering with Yoosung as they waited. 

“10 minutes till curtain, people!” he heard the director clap and walk through the hall where the dressing rooms were.

There was a sudden spike in energy as he heard the tapping of rushing feet and commotion increase. 

Zen grinned and put down the brush he was working with to go join the ones on stage. 

Show time!

### 

Zen sang a solo during the final act. 

It depicted his character’s inner turmoil and pain, as well as his reasoning for his actions. He had successfully killed his co-star’s character, the actual hero, but not before he almost had a change of heart. Now he sang in his attempt to quell the regret his actions had brought, the turmoil he struggled with and the ultimate goal that he intended to achieve, the one he had sacrificed everything for. 

As he sang his last, drawn out syllable, there was a loud _BANG!_

The audience screamed and he could catch a glimpse of them all jerking back or to the side, completely taken by the scene they were witnessing. 

Zen’s note was cut short, as if choking on his own voice.

He popped the hidden packet of red liquid in his costume, letting the “blood” leak down from his chest. He dropped slowly to his knee, shaking. Then slowly turned to look behind him.

There stood the girl who played the final main role, stepping out of the darkness of the back section of the stage into the spotlight. Her love for the fallen hero had surpassed her relationship with Zen’s character, leaving her with nothing but hate for him. 

He reached out for her. He had loved her…trusted her. His arm was shaking. A painful smile on his lips and tears streaming freely from his eyes…and then he dropped onto the stage. 

The scene ended. 

The curtain fell closed. 

Zen got up as he heard the girl run over squealing and literally crying over how amazing that was.

The sudden outburst from the audience on the other side of the curtain had both him and her laughing and hugging, joined by their co-star from off the stage. 

The director ran out and ushered all of them to stand in a line for their final bow, calling up the backstage staff and musicians as well.

They managed to fit everyone in. Some of the people were kneeling or sitting in the front, some were crying, and others were trying hard not to let their nerves get the best of them. Then the curtains opened once more, revealing the full theater standing and cheering. Zen took in the sight, feeling his pride swell within his chest as he bowed with the others. The director and conductor for the orchestra took the final bow and the curtains closed once more.

All the actors began to leave the stage in different states of excitement and adrenaline. 

Zen went around complimenting and chatting excitedly with everyone about the performance before going to the dressing room to get back into his normal clothes, handing the stained ones to the lady in charge of the costumes and thanking her for her efforts. 

There was a small buffet set up backstage to celebrate their opening show’s success. Many of the other actors and crew had decided to stick around for the food and atmosphere. Zen would have joined them if he didn’t have other things on his mind. 

He had some friends to meet up with! And he was certain they were all going to go grab some dinner and catch up, especially with Seven! The guy was too reclusive for his own good and needed these times more than he let on. That, and Zen had a sneaking suspicion that Seven might be as bad at keeping up with decent meals as Yoosung. So naturally, Zen intended to get him to eat on a normal schedule or at least make sure he ate enough whenever they were together.

Zen decided to avoid leaving the theater through the front entrance. It would be too packed and he would never find his friends there. He had texted Yoosung to wait for him by the parking lot behind the theater. It would be easier to find them there. 

Meanwhile, Zen went around to use the side exit, waving everyone goodbye before heading out. 

The cold air almost stung as he opened the door. It felt so much colder out here now that he was away from the bright lights and people.

He soon realized he wasn’t the only one there.

A man with blue hair and dark glasses looked over at him in shock, not having expected someone to use this exit.

“Oh” Zen began, “Pardon me. I didn’t mean to scare you” he let the door close behind him.

“Ah, you’re Zen” the man smiled. It seemed he had been on the phone because he turned it off and placed it in his pocket after, “I was checking my messages away from the noise but…I didn’t expect I’d be lucky enough to run right into you. Here. For your performance”

Zen stared in surprise as the man held out a bouquet of roses to him. It wasn’t very big or anything too fancy, but the flowers were fresh and aesthetically arranged. Pink roses turned to happily face him. He caught a hint of the mellow scent, noticing how the arrangement must have cost quite a bit. 

He tried not to outwardly cringe at the thought of the price.

“Ah, well, thank you” he accepted them. It was a little weird getting flowers from a guy but Zen was a bit too caught off guard to reject the gift at the moment. It would also be very rude if he refused and might cause some trouble so Zen decided accepting was the safer route. 

The guy appeared to be rather shy and nervous about the situation as well so it should be okay. Although it was a bit awkward.

The man smiled, “My fiancée loved your shows. She’s been following your work almost since you first began” he had a soft voice, a solemn tone. Zen thought of honey and milk as he listened to it. It was surprisingly soothing hearing this man talk. “She had always wanted to meet you in person, but never had the chance. I hope you don’t think it strange of me to want to fulfill her wish in this way. I’ve been a rather big fan myself but I am not very good with people…not like she was” he rubbed at the back of his neck nervously. 

Definitely awkward. 

From how he was talking about her, he must have lost his fiancée recently. And Zen didn’t really want to think about how or continue down this path because if this dude happened to be one of his crazier fans, things could get really bad, really fast. He didn’t appear to be one of those. However, appearances were always quite deceiving. 

Zen shifted his weight and clutched the bouget, feeling somewhat tense, “No, no, I’m always honored to meet a fan! Thank you…I would have loved to meet her and thank her personally. I don’t have many fans who have been with me since the beginning” he gave the guy a smile. He realized that he wasn’t actually sure what to say in this situation. 

The other man nodded, “she would have appreciated that, a lot. You are very talented, Zen. I really hope you reach your dreams. Would it be alright if I took a picture? I’m a…photographer. I could send you a copy as well once I print it”

Oh, that was kind of cool. Zen wondered if he was an independent photographer or one of the paparazzi. He didn’t appear to be one of the latter so a picture should be alright. Either way, it was a nice shift from that last topic. It appeared like neither of them really knew how to handle it and the guy obviously hadn’t meant to say it like that. At least Zen hoped that was the case. He was probably too caught off guard by Zen’s exit to react how he must have wanted to.

“I don’t mind! Posing for photos is another one of my talents” he winked.

The other man suddenly laughed, “I can easily see that, you have never failed to look amazing in any photos” he agreed, then raised up his camera. 

That statement went right over Zen’s head, its implication lost on the actor as he focused on striking a pose with the roses simply glad to be changing topics. He couldn’t deny his ego some extra attention!

But before the other could take that shot, Zen noticed a hooded figure walk into the alley from the left, and hold up something that glinted sharply in the streetlights.

“Shit!” Zen cursed, his instinct kicking in. 

Her reached out to grab the photographer and shoved him against the locked door to the studio, pressing his own body heavily against him to try and hide them both in the indent provided by the theater walls surrounding the door. Something cut through the air, barely a breath behind his back. He could feel the pinch of the air caress his back, too close for comfort. 

The small indent in the wall would have provided just enough coverage for one person. And Zen must have gotten really lucky to have avoided being hit because he hadn’t been entirely covered, focusing more on shielding the other man.

Or so he had thought until he felt a sharp sting across his upper arm.

Zen sucked in a breath, moving off the man and out to face the hooded figure. He reached in his pocket, flicking out a switchblade with a practiced motion, dropping the flowers to the side in the process. 

They couldn’t hide where they were. They were easy targets here! They had to move and Zen relied on his experience and knowledge here, figuring there was a chance the shooter likely was one of those “shoot and run” types. If he wasn’t then Zen was prepared to serve as a distraction and take a few hits. His intention was to survive. 

He hadn’t heard the gun go off. At least, not loudly. The hollow clicks of the thing told Zen it was likely equipped with a silencer. And that meant that whoever the shooter was, they had planned this.

This had not been a random attack. 

Shit! Was this someone from the gang? Zen had never been able to cut all his ties with that life…technically he was still a member, even if he was a retired one. This could be a guy from a rival gang here to pick a fight. And of all places, it had to be here and now! 

But how did he know where to find him? The gang didn’t know Zen’s career choice or anything of his current life! The only way a rival could have found out was through prior contact with Zen and then hearing about him through the media. And Zen was not popular enough to be discovered that easily especially where gang connections were concerned. They didn’t know him as “Zen” either.

But this wasn’t the time to be thinking about the who, what, where and how. 

“I’ll distract him. You run and get help! Trust me on this, Go!” Zen ordered the man. 

The startled man got a pained look on his face, as if he were about to argue. 

However, one sharp look from Zen was all it took to cut off any protest or question he had. The man quickly nodded and ran off behind Zen, taking only a quick glance at the shooter as he bolted. 

The gunman raised his weapon again, but Zen chose that moment to run straight at him. 

First, thank god this guy appeared to have been surprised by Zen’s quick reaction!

Second, fuck! This guy was not a runner! This was bad! Zen’s intimidation tactic was ineffective!

And finally, oh shit! He was gonna get shot! Fuck! He was gonna get shot! What was his director going to think!? Shit, shit, _SHIT_!

His feet hit the loose gravel of the alley road as he sped his way toward the gunner, nothing to shield him save for his wit and strength. A knife was nothing against a gun at long range. He couldn’t throw it either because then he would lose his only weapon! He had to get in close! And Fast!

He saw the scowl on the man’s lips and the way he jerked a leg back, signaling his uncertainty. His face was still hooded as he straightened his gun up, aimed directly as Zen’s head, fingers tightening their grip on the weapon. 

Fuck!

Zen ducked behind a dumpster just as he heard the muffled shots, three this time, fire. One hit the metal of the bin he was hiding behind, leaving a heavy dent right next to Zen’s arm, causing him to flinch aside, breath hitching. 

Zen cursed. His heart was pumping his veins full of adrenaline, sharpening his mind and senses, causing every muscle to ache with the tension Zen was forcing into them to move.

But it seemed that his crazy actions had given the other man enough time to get out of the alley.

Good. Now he just needed to deal with the shooter. 5 rounds had been shot. He obviously had a silencer on that thing. The guy likely had a 16-round handgun. Zen wasn’t sure what kind, maybe a Glock? Or some pistol. He doubted it was one with a roulette chamber. Those normally only had 6 shots. Most people preferred a clip these days anyway for practical use. It was quicker to reload those. He bullets were most likely to be 9 mm…but this was all beside the point! Regardless of the specifications, this meant the shooter still had a max of 11 shots left!

Zen couldn’t stay here. If the guy moved up, Zen would be trapped. Again, a knife was not a good weapon against a gun! 

He took a slow breath, letting it out, then jumped up from his position and…was met with an empty alleyway. 

It seemed the guy had decided to run. With his own blood thumping loudly in his ears, he must not have heard his footsteps as he fled.

It was also possible he had just hidden somewhere nearby. 

Cautious, Zen scanned the area. He left his hiding spot to move further up the alley, trying to make sure the guy was really gone. 

A sudden commotion from behind him had him spinning around, ready for a fight. Shit! Had the guy somehow gotten around behind him!? Or did he call for backup!?

Four suited, bulky men were running down the alley, guns in hand and trained right on Zen. 

Oh god he hoped those were the _“help”_ that the blue haired man had sent and not a bunch of other gang members. They didn’t look to be the usual gangsters, so he was desperately hoping that was the case.

“Drop the weapon! Drop it and put your hands up!” one of them commanded.

Zen slowly lowered the knife to the ground, raising his hands up and kicking it aside. He had no chance against those guns. He eyed them all wearily. It was better to play it safe. 

The men moved in. The first two ran past him to check the rest of the alley and one of the last two stood by Zen, reaching up to fiddle with an earpiece, “We got one. What was the description again?” There was a moment of silence, “Understood. Yeah, that’s the one we have. He seems to be unharmed” another pause, “yes, sir. Understood”

The man then looked at Zen, “you can lower your hands. You’re Zen, right?”

Zen nodded, “yeah. The guy…I didn’t see his face. There’s a bullet lodged on the inside of the dumpster there if that’s any help”

The man nodded, “alright. I’ll escort you out of here” he moved over and scooped up the switchblade Zen had dropped, lowering the blade and holding onto it as he hurried Zen out of the alley and around to the back of the theater.

“Wait!” Zen moved to the side to pick up the bouquet from where he had dropped it. He didn’t like the idea of leaving the flowers to die out here. The man seemed annoyed by the action, but didn’t say anything as he proceeded to usher Zen forward towards the parking lot.

They made their way around to the back doors of the theater where Zen saw some familiar faces turning towards him.

Yoosung spotted him first, his face brightening as he suddenly ran forward, “ZEEEEEN!” he screamed, lunging at him and hugging him as he sobbed against his jacket, “You i-yiot! You -ould’a beesssh-ot! SHOT! Not like on-ssstage sho- but r-real SHOT!” some of his words were slurred. All Zen could make out was that Yoosung might have been calling him an idiot and was very concerned that he might have taken a bullet. 

Zen stumbled back at the force of the hug, but laughed, “Sorry, but I couldn’t let the other guy get hurt! Especially if that shooter was there for me…” he gave Yoosung a hug back, not letting it last too long before he let go.

Yoosung was still clinging, rubbing at his eyes with his sleeve and refusing to let go. 

Seven and the blue haired man had approached as well. 

“Damn it, Zen…you had us seriously worried there!” Seven admitted, hands shoved deep in his pockets and a crooked, relieved smile on his face. He looked like he had been just as worried as Yoosung. There was a stiffness to his posture that usually wasn’t there.

Zen felt bad, “I…I didn’t mean to. It wasn’t like any of that was planned. I’m alright. I’m here now”

Seven nodded, “Yeah. You’re right. But you could have gotten really hurt…” he looked away, one hand going up to play with the cord of his headphones. 

Yoosung had turned to look at Seven, rubbing the tears from his eyes one more time and finally releasing his grip around Zen, “Seven, h-he’s okay~”

Seven looked up, his signature smile back in place, “Ay! I’m really happy you got away! So what did you do? Ninja moves? A disappearing act? Reveal to me your hidden secrets!!!” he added excitedly, wiggling his fingers. 

Zen relaxed. 

“I apologize deeply for this whole mess” the blue haired man spoke up, “I don’t know who that was or who they were after, but I’m glad you weren’t hurt. If it weren’t for your actions…” he trailed off, unable to finish the thought. 

“Sir…is your arm alright?” the guard suddenly asked.

Zen looked at the security guard who was still standing beside them, then down at the arm that was being indicated at and noticed his jacket sleeve was ripped. 

Oh. 

He quickly shrugged off the black jacket and examined his arm again.

Dark red stained the white sleeve of his striped shirt. 

Oh shit. 

It must have happened when he was trying to hide them both in that small indent to avoid the first two shots. 

He couldn’t help thinking about how wonderful it was that he decided to wear his black jacket and white shirt rather than his signature blazer. If that blazer got ruined, he might cry. 

The guard, who Zen was quite sure was one of the security staff for the theater at this point, was calling for medical support. 

Seven was at Zen’s side, suddenly bundling up Zen’s ruined jacket and pressing it up against the wound. 

It was only now that he was aware of it that Zen felt the sharp sting of the injury and clenched his teeth. So much for not getting hurt for the show. They still had several more acts to do over the course of the month. But it should be okay, Zen healed fast and the next show was at the end of the week. 

He caught Seven’s eyes and the seriousness in them struck him. 

Wanting to calm his friend down, he smiled a little, “It’s not that bad. I think it only grazed me. I’m fine” he reassured.

Yoosung looked like he was on the verge of panicking, so Zen tried to reassure him as well. The photographer looked like someone had just slapped him, the guilt clear on his face. Why was he looking guilty? Did he think it was his fault Zen got hurt? Zen was about to mention that he shouldn’t feel guilt over a situation he had no control over when the medic team came running.

Two medics arrived, carrying a large first aid kit. They took over from Seven and lead Zen to sit on a curb near the building. 

Zen noticed that the security guard was standing by them, blocking Zen from view the best he could. It seemed that some people had noticed that something was going on and were trying to get a better look. 

Seven took off his jacket and hung it over Zen, the hood masking all of his hair and face. Zen glanced up at Seven thankfully before the hacker stood to act as a blockade with the guard. Yoosung was on Zen’s other side, asking how he could help, but was told to move so they could make sure Zen’s vitals were okay. 

It seemed a little excessive considering that it was, in fact, just a graze. Although it was a bit of a deep graze. But if Zen had failed to noticed that injury, he kinda got why the medics would wanna double check for more or other issues. 

About several minutes later they had cleaned and bandaged his upper arm. He was going to need stitches and they recommended he go to the hospital for that. Otherwise, he was entirely healthy. 

Zen thanked them and got up, his blazer draped over one arm as he lowered the sleeve of his shirt over the bandages to cover them. Seven’s jacket remained on, concealing him from prying eyes. 

The security guard held out something with a zip tie clasped around it. Zen recognized it as his knife, “Ah, thank you” he said as he accepted it with his free hand. He was still holding the flowers with his other. 

“I give you a ride to the hospital if you would let me. I know Seven’s car is too small for three people” the blue haired man offered. Zen was seriously starting to think he needed to get his name, it was weird thinking of him based on hair color or his sunglasses or hobby or whatever. 

That aside, Zen and Yoosung knew most of Seven’s cars were limited to two people. It sounded like the guy knew that the current vehicle Seven was driving was only meant for two. Interesting. 

“No way am I letting Zen go with you!” Yoosung suddenly snapped, shooting a hard glare in the man’s direction, “Seven will take Zen! I’ll ride with you there”

The blue haired man flinched back, but then conceded without a fight. 

“Whoa, Yoosung! We don’t know that this was because of him. What’s gotten into you?” Zen questioned, surprised at his best friends’ reaction. Was Yoosung blaming this guy for the situation? 

Yoosung huffed and looked at Zen, “I am not budging. I trust Seven way more than V. For _obvious_ reasons” his eyes snapped back to the stranger.

“V?” Zen questioned out loud. That sounded familiar. Where had he heard that odd name before?

The blue haired man nodded, “Jihyun…actually. But I go by V in public. It’s alright. I’ll go with Yoosung if it helps”

“Wait, you know each other?” Zen was so confused, still trying to place the name. Why couldn’t he remember it? And he knew for certain that he had never met this man. 

Seven suddenly began pushing Zen from behind, “well then! Let’s go! The faster we get there the better! Move, move!”

Zen was rushed off to Seven’s car, feeling very much like his friends were withholding some information from him. But why would they do that? Yoosung had talked to him countless times about his friends and a little about his family before…but he never mentioned that guy, V, or Jihyun, or whatever he went by although he seemed to prefer being known as V. And why was Seven not confused too?

No, wait…

Yoosung…?

That was where he had heard that odd name before! Yoosung! Back when they had first met Yoosung had told him of someone named V! It was a guy connected to his cousin who Yoosung seemed to greatly dislike! Yoosung had never gone into detail about the man, but now Zen had a face to go with the name and idea of what Yoosung felt against him.

He turned to face Seven as the other opened the door and got Zen to sit in the car, then quickly made his way around and hopped into the driver’s seat, “Seven, do you know anything about this? Is Yoosung going to be okay?”

“I’d be more worried for V than for Yoosung, lol!” Seven grinned, starting up the car with a satisfied hum as he heard the engine roar to life.

“did you literally just say ‘lol’? And wait, you aren’t answering me at all!” Zen turned to try and see Yoosung through the rear window as Seven began driving out of the lot. He caught a glimpse of his friend following V further into the parking lot. It seemed like they were heading for a luxury Sedan that had just pulled up. 

V wasn’t driving? It definitely wasn’t a taxi. A chauffer? 

“Zen. Don’t move around too much. Yoosung will be entirely alright. The reason I’m not explaining anything is because this isn’t really my thing to explain. If you’re worried about V being a danger to Yoosung, I promise he isn’t” Seven tried to explain to ease Zen’s nerves. 

Zen stopped twisting in his seat and relaxed a little, buckling his seatbelt as he decided to remain silent. So this was something he needed to confront Yoosung with. Why was V here? Was Yoosung still in contact with him? How much did Seven know? How? Why? 

There must be a serious reason Yoosung never explained much to Zen. Otherwise, Seven wouldn’t be holding his tongue on the matter. 

“So…you know him too then?” Zen tried a different route.

Seven glanced over at him and smiled, “Yeah. V and me have a bit more history than him and Yoosung but I’ll explain that later. Anyway, I don’t know what happened, but it sounded like you may have saved V’s life. You’re insane, you know that?” he suddenly laughed.

Zen sighed, giving up his pursuit for answers right now, “…yeah, damn. I didn’t think my old life would come back at me like that…I don’t think I can handle knowing someone else got hurt because of it” 

Seven gave a small nod, “I’m sure the security team will try finding the guy who shot at you. I’ll see what I can do to help too. We’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again. Just…be careful when you are alone, okay?”

“Dude you don’t have to go that far” Zen gave a nervous chuckle, “I’m sure I can figure out who that is myself. I’ll be fine. I still know people who can maybe give me some information ab-“

“ _No_ ” Seven said, almost snapping, as he cut Zen off, “Zen, you left that life for a reason. Don’t go back there”

Zen felt his words catch in his throat. He swallowed them down and turned away to stare ahead. Seven was being serious. 

Normally the guy was full of smiles and jokes, but there have been a few rare moments where he would make sure Zen and Yoosung knew that he wasn’t playing around. It was honestly kind of intimidating. 

He was right though. Zen shouldn’t be thinking along those lines. He left that life behind him for a reason. If anything, it should be his final resort to turn back to it. 

“I feel like…”

Zen looked over at Seven again as the other began talking, his tone more lighthearted once again.

“…that play needed to include cats!”

Zen flinched away as if he had been poked with a Taser, “C-cats!? Seven you _KNOW_ I am allergic! Why would they put cats into a play knowing one of their lead actors would suffer!?” Damn it, the joking Seven was back!

Seven laughed like a cartoon villain as they pulled in to the hospital.

Zen sat in the small room with the nurse.

He had already received the stitches and the nurse was making sure everything looked good and was covering them with a bandage. 

Zen’s arm felt numb. At least the upper part near his shoulder where the injury was. 

He was finding himself being grateful for the existence of modern medicine. Personally, he knew that he could handle dealing with physical pain. But it was always very much appreciated when he didn’t need to. 

He was instructed to come back in several days to have them removed, although Zen was sure he would be returning sooner than that. 

He had given back Seven’s jacket when he had been led to the room and it had been about an hour now. He idly wondered if Seven and Yoosung were out in the lobby, waiting. He idly wondered if V was waiting there too. He honestly wasn’t sure what to make of the guy. His first impression was that he was awkward and very solemn. Maybe he was depressed? Zen wouldn’t be too surprised if he were.

He also wasn’t sure what to make of Yoosung’s strong feelings against V. Zen knew Yoosung had a jealousy thing that brought out his irritation, but he had never seen him show such animosity against anyone before. Even knowing that Yoosung disliked V, he hadn’t expected it.

The doctor brought him back from his thoughts, releasing him as he handed Zen a prescription for pain and instructions for how to keep the wound clean. 

Zen thanked him and fixed the sleeve of his shirt once more before leaving for the waiting room. 

Yoosung had his earphones in and was distracted by his phone, obviously waiting for Zen. Seven appeared to be gone. It was likely that he got called off to work or something. The guy never had a set schedule and was always running off so it was expected and Zen wasn’t worried about it. 

At the back he noticed the man, V, seemingly talking on the phone away from Yoosung. 

Yoosung had glanced up and smiled, quickly pulling his ear pieces out and shoving them with his phone into the pocket of his big sweater before rushing over, “did go ok?” he asked, the relief evident in his tone.

Zen nodded, “yeah. It wasn’t bad. Deep enough for stitches but it shouldn’t scar since I got here quickly and, well, I heal like a monster” he smirked.

Yoosung scrunched his face and shook his head, “lucky. Good. Let’s go! Seven got a call and had to leave but it’s not like we live too far from here. I can walk you home!” his eyes sparkled with great determination as he suggested the idea.

Zen glanced to the other man, who seemed not to have noticed them yet, “what about V?”

Yoosung glanced behind him and Zen could almost feel how he ground his teeth, “he’ll be fine. Come on” he tried to take Zen’s hand, pausing as he eyed the flowers that Zen was once again holding, but he seemed to choose not to comment on them, giving the gift an undeserving glare. 

“I’m fine with walking home with you. I want to talk with you anyway. But I’m telling _him_ that we are leaving first. He seems like he feels really bad for this mess and it would be rude to just walk out” Zen decided, walking past Yoosung towards the man.

Yoosung gaped at him in horror, “Zen…!”

Zen just held up a finger, silently telling him he would only take a moment. 

He understood his friends feelings on the situation, at least generally. He didn’t know the details or how deep it all went, but Zen was someone who often let his emotions and instinct guide him. Maybe it wasn’t always the smartest path, but he didn’t plan to change how he did things. 

Yoosung did not look happy, but quickly rushed after him, refusing to leave his side. 

As they approached, V finally noticed and ended his call, “Zen…I wanted to thank you again. You weren’t out here too long, were you? I apologize if I didn’t notice you coming into the lobby, my…eyesight is not what it used to be” he admitted, fixing his sunglasses. 

Well that explained why he was wearing them out at night as well as the chauffer. It was around 10 pm at this point so there was no reason why he should be wearing those.

“No worries, I just wanted to say thanks for your help and…apologize myself. It’s possible whoever that was came after me. So…you know. I’m glad you didn’t get hurt. But anyway, I’m going to head home with Yoosung. Maybe we can meet again since you never got to take that picture you wanted to” he shrugged.

He could almost feel the sudden anger radiating from his friend. Hopefully Yoosung wouldn’t hate him too much for this, but it wasn’t entirely Zen’s fault for not understanding the whole deal Yoosung had against V. 

V gave a strained chuckle, obviously feeling the same thing Zen was, “that would be…nice. Although I am worried that person was actually after me, not you. I’m not too famous or well known, but my family and career have attracted a lot of attention, some not good” he revealed, “Seven can get you my contact information. Just let me know if you need anything”

Zen nodded, “alright, cool. Thanks”

V smiled, then waved as he turned and left. 

“ _NOW_ can we go?” Yoosung whined.

Zen nodded, heading out with him. It seemed V had gotten the message that a ride with him was out of the question, because Zen was pretty sure he would offer one otherwise. 

The soft thump of their shoes filled their hearing as they walked, the gentle crunching of loose stone beneath their feet the only sound other than the occasional passing vehicle. It was a cold night. Not freezing by any means, but cool enough to have Zen putting his torn jacket back on. 

Zen had always appreciated the night. This was normally his time. He shined the brightest in the dark. He felt comfortable here. At least, he normally did. 

As they walked, there was a heavy silence between them. Yoosung seemed to be avoiding looking at Zen. He seemed stressed. 

Zen decided now was the best time to question him, otherwise they might remain silent the whole way to his place and that…didn’t really sit well with him.

“So. V. How come you never told me how bad it _really_ was between you two?”

Yoosung tensed. Zen noticed it by the way he seemed to move more stiffly. He had obviously been waiting for that question to come up.

“V killed Rika” Yoosung said suddenly, a sharp retort filled with an anger Zen had never heard before. Yoosung’s face was hidden beneath his bang, head low and posture tensed and slouched.

Zen’s eyes widened a little. Yoosung had spoken a lot about his cousin, Rika, before. Zen had seen pictures. He knew Yoosung had a bit of an unhealthy attachment to her. She was like the older sister he had never had. She meant the world to him. But….he had never seen any photos of V or heard _this_ part before. And what did Yoosung mean that V _killed_ her.

Zen stopped walking, “Yoosung…what is going on?” his voice was low and quite but he knew the other was listening. He watched as the other stopped just in front of him. 

Yoosung had never revealed any details of his cousin’s death. Zen only knew that she had gotten very sick. He knew V was involved with her. But that was as much as he knew about the man. However, this sounded like something that should have been explained to him _before_ he had ever met, talked and even spent some time _alone_ with the man!

“Look…he took Rika from me! He took her and then he didn’t save her when he could have! She was sick and hurting and he didn’t save her! Okay? THAT is what’s going on! He _KILLED_ Rika! Okay?” Yoosung suddenly burst out, finally turning around and locking eyes with Zen. 

Zen was shocked. 

Those normally bright, purple puppy eyes were glaring at him with such venom and hatred that Zen felt his fight or flight response kicking in. The dark of the night cast shadows over Yoosung’s face, the dim lights playing tricks as they seemed to alight the spark of untethered rage flaring out from within the other. It revealed just how deep the others pain went. 

So Yoosung blamed V for Rika’s illness and/or death? Zen had a hard time believing that V was a murderer. Although he knew that looks could always be deceiving. He needed to hear the whole story. 

“….tell me” Zen said, speaking softly, “tell me everything, please”

He watched the stiffness as Yoosung caught his breath. He observed as that breath was finally released and Yoosung’s shoulders slouched slightly. Yoosung shoved his fists in his pockets, taking a moment to gather himself. The anger had settled, for now. 

“I told you about how…Rika and V were close right? Well…they were more than close. They were engaged. I was…happy. As long as Rika was happy, I was so happy for her. Even if…even if she didn’t need me. But she always kept me close. But…that was until she got sick”

Ah. So that added up with what he heard from V. So…that big fan he mentioned…his fiancée…it had been Rika? Had Yoosung known?

“V was the one who told me she was sick after she ended up in the hospital. He said he couldn’t do anything. He said the doctors did their best. But I won’t forgive him. Not for this! Rika…I don’t know why she liked him. He must have brainwashed her! And then he killed her!” Yoosung went off once more, fists clenched tight and anger hitting a boiling point, “I _HATE_ him. It should have been _HIM_ who died. Not Rika! She only started getting sick _after_ she got with him. It’s the only thing that makes sense! V obviously caused her d-death…”

Zen was…shocked to say the least. 

If someone was sick and died because of illness…there really was very little that could have been done by anyone if the illness was bad enough. And just because she got sick after getting with V didn’t necessarily mean that he was at fault. And if he were, the police or detectives or whoever wouldn’t have let him get away. So V must have been cleared of any involvement. But Yoosung seemed absolutely convinced that it was V’s fault. Was it possible that maybe it was? But it didn’t make sense. 

Zen saw Yoosung biting at his lower lip. His eyes were getting watery. 

He stepped forward and pulled his best friend into a one-armed hug. He didn’t give hugs often. But on the rare occasion that he felt his friend needed it, he gave it freely in the hopes of helping him.

Yoosung stiffened, then relaxed and leaned into him, hiding his face in Zen’s shoulder and wrapping his arms around him, clinging to his blazer as a sob tore through his throat.

Zen knew Yoosung’s entire life had revolved around Rika. 

It had destroyed him when she had died. Zen had met him not too long after her death. Yoosung was still very much a brunette and a wreck during that time. Even now, Yoosung wasn’t able to face the reality that Rika was gone, so it was always a bit of a sore topic when her name came up. Zen had done what he could to help him move on from the loss, going as far as even sharing some of his past with him, which was something he had never done with anyone else. It was after Zen had opened up a little that Yoosung slowly began to show the first signs of recovery. 

Their first time hanging out together in Zen’s apartment had actually also been their first big bonding experience. In short, it was the day they dyed and styled Yoosung’s hair! Yoosung wanted to do it in an effort to look cute and preserve a bit of Rika’s memory with himself. Zen wanted to do it because he knew it would help Yoosung and it was something he was personally curious about. The result was Yoosung’s current hairstyle!

The memory seemed to be presenting itself as a suggestion. That actually wasn’t a bad idea. Zen was willing to offer whatever comfort he could to his best friend. And that seemed like a brilliant proposition, especially right now. 

“You can sleep over at my place if you want. I have some spare clothes and you can crash on my bed. I’ll take the couch” Zen offered. 

Yoosung relaxed his grip on him and nodded into his shoulder before pulling away and rubbing at his eyes with his sleeve, “O-okay…sorry Zen…I just…can’t stand him…I didn’t mean to keep anything a secret, I just don’t want to talk about it. I don’t….I don’t want to talk about _him_ ”

“It’s cool. It’s okay, Yoosung” Zen continued walking, his best friend moving quickly to stay beside him. He tried not to walk at his normal pace. Yoosung’s shorter legs would have trouble keeping up. Zen was a head taller, after all, and that height made a huge difference in a number of ways. He had heard the other complain about Zen’s giant steps on more than a single occasion. 

Now he understood things from Yoosung’s side. Somewhat. He wasn’t going to push for more details. But he was certainly going to message Seven to see what he knew and if there was anything more that Zen was being left out on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More new character appearances as V takes the stage! Yaaaay! I’ll keep them coming as the situations for them arise but I intend to have almost all the Mystic cast in this. But aside from that, the connections begin to reveal themselves! The build up is slowly ascending! Have you guys figured out what’s going on yet?  
> Trust me, everything has a reason and a purpose in this chapter~  
> ….maybe. Okay so I haven’t really worked _everything_ out but the foundation is here for the plot. I just need to get it down more on that relationship aspect~ which I know exactly how to do! >w0  
> Next chapter has more Zen & Yoosung moments and we begin laying the stage for Jumin and Zen!


	6. Reassurance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Note to self: Do not tease Yoosung with your abs."_
> 
> Jumin also discovers Zen's name. You all know what this means?
> 
> _Progress!!!_

As soon as the pair had arrived at Zen’s place, Yoosung went to make them both some dinner, complaining loudly about how Zen’s fridge was always so empty. Zen pointed out the eggs, salad and some beef in the freezer as he dug out a crystal vase from the storage cabinet and rinsed it before placing the bouquet in. He decided it would look nice on the small living room table specifically away from Yoosung. 

He wasn’t blind to the way the blonde tossed dirty looks at the innocent flowers. 

Yoosung soon gave up casting dirty looks at the flowers in favor of lecturing Zen on how his current food supply barley counted as enough for a proper meal and on how Zen should take his own advice and make sure to keep his fridge better stocked so he could actually eat at least two times a day. 

Zen gave up and went to shower. 

He did make sure to eat a minimum of three meals a day (although he did occasionally skip one meal sometimes when he was stressed or if it was very busy day). And he did his best to keep his food selection healthy and work out every morning. As far as he saw it, he was completely healthy! And the mirror had never lied to him before! He was in perfect shape. Lean muscles and perfect proportions all around! 

Although the bandaged stitches were adding a flaw to his otherwise unscathed reflection. 

He spent about a half hour in the shower, mainly because he was being careful with the fresh stitches and mostly using one hand to wash his hair, before coming out in nothing but some sweatpants, drying his hair with a towel. 

Yoosung was finishing up a simple Bulgogi dish with some rice. It looked like he had gotten a little creative due to Zen’s lack of groceries, but it still impressed Zen how the other always made certain dishes look and smell so good. Yoosung didn’t always make the prettiest looking stuff, like his omlettes, but Zen felt that flavor was superior to appearance. 

Zen walked over and paused to snap a selfie, his unrestrained hair falling barely into view of the image behind him. He made sure to only catch his own face and Yoosung’s back in the shot. 

Yoosung turned around just as Zen snapped another shot.

“Seriously!? Zeeen! Stop being a narcissist and go put on a shirt!” Yoosung demanded, pouting. 

He was wearing the apron he had brought over and left here the last time he had cooked. It had a cute yellow duck on it. 

Zen laughed, “Aw, why?”

“Because you’re being a jerk! And a show off!” the blonde huffed.

“Yeah, yeah~ go take a shower already! I left a shirt and sweats in the bathroom for you” Zen chuckled, rolling his shoulders back just to show off some more. 

He heard an exasperated groan from the other before Yoosung turned off everything and covered the food with lids, then ran off to get a quick shower, his face flushed.

Zen snickered to himself. Maybe this should have felt a little awkward after that one discussion him and Yoosung had gone through, but he couldn’t help feeling relaxed. There was also the little factor of how fun it was to tease Yoosung. Zen knew exactly why Seven loved to do it, although unlike Seven, he tried to keep his teasing small and simple. 

While Yoosung was in the shower, Zen got some plates and drinks ready, then went to get a spare blanket and sheet from the hall closet to lay by the couch. 

He placed them nearby and sat down, turning on the tv to some random program for background noise, then scooped up his phone.

He sent a message to Seven about his knowledge of V and Yoosung’s relationship and Seven gave him a few updates within a few minutes:

  1. Seven confirmed that he had actually met Yoosung through V’s relationship with Rika.
  2. Rika had underlying health conditions that Yoosung wasn’t aware of and she did not want him to know about, which eventually led to her death.
  3. V and Rika Founded the RFA just before her death along with Seven, and V’s best friend.
  4. Yoosung was already a member because he was there for the creation, although he hadn’t been very active because of his school and his participation dropped more after the loss of his cousin.
  5. Other than V’s best friend, there was one other person involved with the RFA.



Seven mentioned he was going to add a special, private group app to Zen’s phone for communication among the RFA once he talked to V about it. 

Knowing Seven, it also likely meant that he was going to hack Zen’s phone and just plop the app in one day. 

Zen didn’t mind, just as long as Seven didn’t go ruffling through everything like the sneaky squirrel he was.

Seven asked about how Yoosung was doing and expressed how glad he was that that the two of them were having a sleep over. Although he made sure to throw in a few implicating teases about what Zen and Yoosung might be up to during that time and how jealous it apparently made Seven that he wasn’t invited to join the fun.

Zen rolled his eyes and quickly retorted with his own teases about how this was just what Seven got for always being busy and how it meant that he got to keep Yoosung all to himself.

Seven spammed his phone with shocked and crying emoji’s. 

Zen snickered and exited the chat, silencing it for now. He wasn’t going to stay there if Seven was in a spamming mood. 

Wasn’t Seven supposed to be busy with work or something?

Then again, Seven was known for slacking whenever he could. 

Yoosung soon came out of the shower, his hair down and wet, bangs covering his left eye and Zen’s clothes a little loose and too long for him. Zen noticed that he had rolled up the bottom of the pants because of that. 

Cute.

“Hello Princess, ready for dinner?” Zen winked at him.

Yoosung almost stumbled, “pr-princess!? Ah-!” he turned away, hands over his face for a moment, then turned back around and pointed accusingly at Zen, “You are so lucky you almost died today because I can’t throw pillows at you right now!” he then rushed off to the kitchen.

Yoosung was so cute when he was flustered. 

Zen snickered.

“And put on a shirt!”

“Make me” Zen went back to check his social media.

He heard Yoosung shuffle around in the kitchen, then his footsteps vanished down the hall. Huh. Why would he need to go down the hall? And no retort? Odd.

After not hearing anything for a good minute, Zen looked away from his phone to glance over his shoulder.

He felt his heart almost shoot out of his chest with a jolt strong enough to cause him to jump.

Yoosung was right THERE. Leaning a little over the couch. Holding up one of Zen’s shirts that he likely grabbed from Zen’s room. And his face was masked by the shadow of his bangs, giving Yoosung’s entire appearance that horror movie vibe as he stared Zen down with wide, vivid violet eyes.

“I told you to put on a shirt, Zen” Yoosung said in a very, very soft tone.

Zen had dropped his phone at some point and was partially laying over the couch, eyes wide and the shock still present, “Fuck! Yoosung! Dude…ok, I’ll put on the shirt! Just…damn! Not cool!” he grabbed the shirt after a moment, gulping and quickly pulling it over his head. 

If he was going to die…he had a bad feeling Yoosung would be the cause of it. 

As soon as Zen had put the shirt on, Yoosung gave him a sweet smile, then went to the kitchen to bring the food over.

Zen leaned back into the couch and stared at the tv as the shock wore off. 

This was his best friend. Innocent puppy one minute, horror story murderer the next. Yup. Zen sure knew how to pick them. 

He pouted at Yoosung as the other sat on the couch next to him and handed over a plate, seeming completely normal again. They both ate and watched the program in silence for a bit. 

Zen wasn’t really absorbing what it was about. Some random show on tv. But his mind was still stuck on shock recovery. He had one too many of those today and each one was harder to recover from than the last. 

Note to self: Do not tease Yoosung with your abs.

He would be sure to remember that. 

“I’m scared…” Yoosung suddenly spoke, voice soft and unsure. 

Zen hadn’t even realized the other had spoken at first. And wasn’t that supposed to be Zen’s line? After all, _he_ had been the one almost killed, TWICE today. 

He looked over at him curiously, “Scared? Wait, why? It’s ok, we’re safe and I’m ok and I already promised Seven I would be careful…” he tried to reassure him.

But then Yoosung shook his head, “no, not that. I…I trust you to be ok. It’s…I’m scared that…” He took a breath, “I’m scared that you’re going to go away one day…like Rika”

Zen looked over. Yoosung did that a lot. He often compared things that Zen did to Rika. Zen let the first few times slide, but began to remind him to stop. “I’m not Rika, Yoosung. And I don’t plan on leaving you, ever. That doesn’t mean that I won’t get hurt sometimes, but I’m not going to just leave. I’m too pretty to die young” 

Yoosung frowned at him, “I am serious. And what if you decide you don’t want to deal with me anymore? What if you realize that I am not worth your time?”

Zen grimaced, not having heard Yoosung talk like this before. He set his plate aside carefully onto the table, then turned to face Yoosung completely, “Yoosung. Look at me”

Yoosung sighed, shaking his head, “Sorry…I know you hate being compared to her. I don’t mean to keep doing that. But what if…what if one day you just leave? Or maybe someone better will come into your life! You’ll forget about me and--”

“Yoosung…”

“--it’s not like you will need me with someone else or someone better, heh, I mean, I’m not that great anyway and I have no idea what you see in me or why you stick around--“

“Yoosung!”

“it’s actually really confusing and I’m afraid that maybe it’s just because I’m keeping you trapped because I know I get really clingy and I just--“

“ _Yoosung!_ ” Zen raised his voice.

Yoosung cut off mid-rant and finally looked at him. 

Zen reached over and caught Yoosung’s face between his hands, watching those bright eyes widen at him, “I will _never_ just leave you. You’re my best friend. You’re…ugh, shit this sounds so cheesy but…you really are one of the most important people in my life. You’re…you’re family. The kind of family I have always wished I had. I’m not going to leave you. Okay?” His voice softened as he spoke. He wanted the reassurance to reach the blonde. He needed him to understand the truth and accept it. 

Yoosung’s eyes sparkled as they slowly filled with emotion, then Yoosung set aside his plate and leaned over to hug Zen. 

Zen gave a soft sigh and returned the hug. Only for Yoosung would he allow this. 

“The food is amazing by the way” Zen complimented. 

Yoosung seemed to light up a little at that, pulling away from Zen and rubbing his eyes clear as he picked up his own plate again, “I am pretty good at cooking…”

“And Seven still has yet to taste it~” Zen snickered, scooping up his own meal to continue as they went back to the lighthearted topics.

“That’s his own fault” Yoosung said as he grabbed for his own phone and took a picture of their plates, then Zen assumed that he sent it to Seven. 

“Oh! Forgot to mention, Seven invited me to join the RFA recently. Said I’ll get some sort of app once it’s approved or whatever” Zen pointed out.

Yoosung perked up, “Really? You?! Wait, that’s great! I was wondering who the new member was going to be but Seven was being all secretive about it! Zen, you need to help me fight Seven! He _always_ teases me on there and I can’t tell when he is lying or not!”

Zen snickered, “Don’t worry Yoosung, I’ll save you! But only if you actually listen to me and _not_ Seven. You have a bit of a problem with that part”

Yoosung sunk into the couch, “I can’t help it! What if what he is saying is actually true? He’s really, really smart Zen! Reeeaally smart!”

Zen gave a small hum, “remember the chocolate milk incident?”

“UGGhhhhhhH! Noooooooooo!” Yoosung cried.

Zen nodded, taking a bite of food, “You should have listened to me”

With that, they lapsed into light conversation about the many times Seven had pranked and teased Yoosung and all the times Yoosung fell for it, even with Zen trying to tell him it was a prank or tease.

Zen didn’t fail to notice Yoosung casting the flowers hated glares.

### 

As he had expected, within a few days, the stitches had been removed and Zen was on his way to completely healing up. He couldn’t help thanking his lucky stars that he was likely to avoid scarring. It would really do him no good to have his perfect skin marred considering his career.

The school dance was tonight and Yoosung was worrying.

And since Zen was such an amazing best friend, he did what any best friend would do in a situation where the other was worrying over silly details. He teased him. 

_”I bet Seven will wear stilettos and one of those short dresses that show of the thighs~ do you think he will wear pantyhose too?_

Needless to say, Yoosung was freaking out about a whole other problem now and was suddenly refusing to speak to Zen. 

Speaking of Seven, the hacker extraordinaire updated Zen on his end of the investigation into the shooting from a few nights back, revealing that whoever the shooter was, they were careful. He had trailed their tracks to an unlicensed vehicle and lost video footage of them somewhere along the highway on their way out of the city. They hadn’t had much luck tracing the bullets to the gun either and he never revealed his face. The only hint Seven did manage to find was one bit of footage showing a hint of a tattoo on his right shoulder.

There also appeared to have been an issue with the RFA app recently so Seven wanted to work out some issues before he installed it on Zen’s phone. The good news was that V and the other members had agreed on Zen being officially invited to join the RFA.

He also promised to send Zen some pics of him and Yoosung later.

Zen couldn’t hide his grin at the prospect. 

Now he had something to look forward to!

### 

He was at home practicing his lines when his phone rang.

It was a little redundant considering he already had his lines all memorized, but he had every intention of perfecting them, regardless. 

The upbeat ringtone caused him to pause and pick up his phone. 

It was a number he didn’t recognize.

He could ignore it and force them to either leave a message or never call back again. But then he could also take this opportunity to mess with a telemarketer or random person. If that’s who they were. And seeing as he knew the numbers of all the people he worked with, it couldn't be one of them. 

He chose to mess with the caller. Of course this would fail if it was one of those automated ones or if this was some co-worker he didn't have the contact of begging him to take their shift or such. But Zen decided it would be worth it.

“Hey babe, what’s taking you so long? We were supposed to meet up on our date half an hour ago? You’re not trying to dump me, are you?” He couldn’t help grinning, wondering if that opening statement would receive any sort of reaction.

“…Pardon?” the mans voice on the other end questioned, sounding rather perplexed. 

Perfect.

“Oh come on Honey, don’t play dumb. You’re really hurting me here. Where you at? I could come meet you instead~” Zen held back a snicker. This was kinda fun. 

“…I was about to have lunch. I assumed most people have lunch around this time. Have you eaten already, Hyun Ryu?”

Whoa. Zen found himself at a loss for words. Hyun? Ryu?! What? No one called him by his real name. And it was his full name too! Who was this? 

“Um, whoa. That’s a good way to tell me to fuck off, but damn. Didn’t think I’d be dumped like this. Okay, hold up, who are you? How do you know my name?”

“Ah. I see I have indeed called the correct number then. Although your assumption that we were dating was rather amusing after the initial confusion wore off. Weren’t you the one to challenge me to figure out your name, Hyun? Ryu? Or do you prefer Zen? Although I personally have a preference for your original name” the voice at the other end sounded far too pleased for Zen’s liking.

Oh fuck.

He groaned, dropping down to sit on his couch. 

Jumin. Jumin Fucking Han had not only found his name, but also gotten his phone number. How even…? And worse yet…Zen had just played with him like he was his girlfriend and consequently been dumped just as quickly. Ouch. 

“Not that I don’t appreciate hearing you groaning, _Honey_ , but I did promise that I would find your name and I had not expected to come across two. It seems your fan base knows you as Zen. However, although I am impressed with your work, I think it more appropriate that I refer to you as Hyun as we have met twice now and you will be a member of the RFA soon, in which we are all on a first name basis”

Zen felt his face burn, then sputtered at comment, “What the fuck!? Don’t you go listening to me groaning! Oh my god! No, just call me Zen like everyone else! Ok? And what are you talking about? The RFA? Wait, _you’re_ part of the RFA?!”

“…is there perhaps a reason why you would prefer that?”

That sly bastard did not need to know the reasoning.

“None of your business. How did you find my number anyway?”

“I had my assistant look into you. As it seems, luck was on my side because she happens to be a rather big fan of your work and has every piece of information that has ever been available on the internet and your fan sites filed away in her personal collection. It seems you not only had your phone number shared online once, but your current residence is public knowledge. I would advise you to take your address down, for your own safety, Zen”

Was this guy _lecturing_ him?!

“Tch, I didn’t ask for your advice. Although it sounds like your assistant is awesome to a scary extent and I am actually not sure what to make of that bit of knowledge”

He actually had no idea how his number got on the web and why he hadn’t actually gotten tons of calls from his fans if that were the case. If he had to take a guess, it was likely that someone had put his number online and then Seven probably immediately took it down before it caused too much harm. Because Zen had no knowledge of that. 

“She is extremely good at her job and very detail-oriented. Although I was rather surprised by this as well. You should focus on eating lunch. It is important to keep up with your meals for the sake of your health. Or perhaps you would be interested in meeting up for our supposed _date_ that I appear to have been running late for?”

Zen could almost hear how that bastard was smiling. This fucking jerk!

“I’ll pick you up. Be ready in 10 minutes. We have two hours before I must be back at work for an appointment” Jumin suddenly added before Zen even had the chance to respond, “I’ll see you soon, dear” he added, then promptly hung up. 

Zen sat on his couch with his mouth dropped open, frozen in a state of…was it shock? It was probably shock. His brain seemed to be unable to function and he hadn’t taken his phone from his ear yet even as the dial tone began irritating his eardrum. 

Did Jumin just schedule a date for them?!

Zen finally twitched free of whatever curse had frozen him in place and stared at his phone. Oh god. 

NO! No. It was NOT a date! It was a jackass trying to make it seem like one so he could get Zen to do that stupid commercial for him! That was all. Oh if he brought that topic up even once, Zen was going to make him regret it!

…

What should he wear!? Shit! He was so not ready! 

Zen jumped off the couch and ran to his room. Casual! He needed casual! Something nice but totally normal!

What did he always look good in? Oh damn, that was a loaded question. He looked good in everything! Why did he just have to be so perfect!?

After about 5 minutes, he settled on his classic outfit. The white blazer with the emblem over his chest and black pants was perfect! It wasn’t too fancy, he wore it casually before, and it worked for most occasions as well as being an easy selection. Perfect! He rushed to the bathroom to brush out his hair and making sure his teeth were clean. 

A knock on the door signaled his time was up. 

Zen grabbed his wallet and snatched his phone up from the couch as he made his way to the door. 

Shit! Wait! Why was he doing all of this just to go deal with that asshole?!

Zen only had a moment for that thought to make its way to the forefront of his mind before he had opened the door. It appeared his autopilot was stronger than his logical thoughts.

An older man in uniform greeted him, “Hello Mr. Ryu. Mr. Han is expecting you” he said before walking back to his fancy ass luxury car. 

Zen quickly noticed that Jumin was there, leaning against the car near the open back door with his arms crossed over his chest and the most devilish smirk he had ever seen on his face. 

Well fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took a while because I have hit that point in writing where I am doubting and second guessing the flow. BUT, I promise I went with my original idea and we will see where this leads! How exciting! owo


End file.
